In the absence of a personal sitting, Uzor turned to nearly 200,000 photos of Kate Middleton from the Getty Images archive.
She supplemented these with hundreds of videos showing Kate with her family, interacting with the public during engagements, and her most recent video message.
“When you can’t meet the sitter in person, you have to look at everything you can find and piece together the subtle human moments revealed in different photographs: do they have a particular way of standing or holding their head or hands? Do they have a recurrent gesture?” Uzor explained to Tatler.
One significant source of inspiration was Kate’s cancer announcement video. When asked if this helped her gain a better perspective, Uzor quickly affirmed, “Without a doubt.”
She elaborated, “All my portraits are made up of layers of a personality, constructed from everything I can find about them.”
Uzor described the video as capturing “a moment of dealing with something difficult, speaking from the heart, having the courage to tackle it head-on.”
Despite Uzor’s thoughtful approach, the portrait’s reception has been mixed.
The painting, which shows Kate in a white gown against a blue background and is based on a photograph from King Charles’ first state banquet in November 2022, has faced criticism.
Some royal fans and the general public have accused Tatler of “mocking” the princess, with The Telegraph’s art critic Alastair Sooke calling the painting “intolerably bad.”
Social media reactions have also been harsh, with comments like “awful” and claims that the portrait doesn’t resemble Kate.
Read More: Prince William Reacts To Kate Middleton’s New Portrait Controversy
In response to the backlash, both Prince William and Princess Kate have remained silent. Prince William, who recently hosted a grand event at Buckingham Palace, appears to have deliberately ignored the controversy, possibly to prevent further debate.
As the discussions about the portrait continue, Uzor’s artistic vision and dedication to capturing the depth of Kate’s character remain key to understanding this contentious artwork.
While the painting may not have been universally embraced, it undeniably reflects a nuanced attempt to portray the future Queen’s personality and strength.
