Duchess of Cambridge releases photos to mark 40th birthday
Kate, Duchess of Cambridge celebrated her 40th birthday on Sunday, January 9, and the milestone was marked by the release of three stunning new portraits of the future Queen. Celebrated fashion photographer Paolo Roversi, who has photographed supermodels including Kate Moss and Naomi Campbell, shot the pictures of the Duchess dressed in Alexander McQueen creations.
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As one of the Royal Family's most popular members, Kate has frequently been praised for her dedication to her royal role.
Kate is a champion of causes relating to mental health, addiction and the early years, and she frequently appears publicly to show her support for charities.
The Duchess has been part of the Royal Family for more than a decade, but it appears Kate has only grown in confidence over the years under the royal spotlight.
Kate's 40th birthday portraits are distinctly different from her previous birthday pictures, demonstrating Kate is "embracing her future destiny", according to body language expert Judi James.
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Ms James explained: "Kate’s 40th birthday portraits show a final unfurling of her wings in terms of her role as future Queen.
"Previous birthday portraits and photos have shown Kate in different life roles as mother, wife and working member of the royal Firm, but at last we can see her fully acknowledging and embracing her future destiny in what are her only truly stand-alone birthday portraits to date."
According to the body language expert, Kate's portraits show the Duchess is "finally happy and confident" in the royal spotlight.
Ms James added: "This launch of ‘brand Kate’ has been a long time coming, suggesting an ongoing sense of modesty and a desire to avoid stealing the spotlight.
"Incredibly this is almost the first time Kate has posed for her birthday with her eyes looking direct to camera.