It’s evidently not an ideal moment for unveiling royal portraits. Just a week after King Charles’ contentious “blood-red” painting, another royal artwork has come under public scrutiny..

. this time featuring the Princess of Wales, Kate Middleton. British fashion and lifestyle magazine Tatler has unveiled the princess’ portrait on the cover of its July edition, commissioned by the British-Zambian artist Hannah Uzor.

While the artist says the painting tries to capture the “soul” of Kate, many are calling it a “parody”. The story of the painting The portrait, part of Tatler’s series on the British royal family, depicts Kate Middleton at the first state banquet of King Charles III’s reign during the South Africa state visit in 2022. Inspired by her look that day – she wore a stunning white caped Jenny Packham floor-length evening gown, the Lover’s Knot tiara, a bracelet once belonging to the late Queen Elizabeth II, and drop earrings that belonged to the late Princess Diana – Uzor said she found the ensemble “physically striking”.

“It made her look very regal and very confident,” she added. Uzor told Tatler that she chose to paint using the “bluey, turquoise” background to give reference to Kate’s green eyes and to the experience of being in a garden and on water, reflecting the princess’s love of rowing. “Colour is one of the most important things in a work of art because it can really speak to the atmosphere,” said the painter in .