Kate Middleton Wears Alexander McQueen in Stunning New Portraits for Her 40th Birthday

To mark the Duchess of Cambridge’s 40th birthday, Kensington Palace released three stunning new portraits of the royal wearing Alexander McQueen, photographed by Paolo Roversi.

The first shows Kate Middleton in black and white, staring off into the distance in an ethereal white gown, her hair gently waved and billowing. She wears pearl drop earrings that once belonged to Princess Diana. A second shows her in a striking red Alexander McQueen off-the-shoulder dress, smiling directly into the camera. Her earrings come from the collection of Queen Elizabeth. Meanwhile, a third serves as a more relaxed headshot in a ruffled white dress, again smiling. The series was taken in London’s Kew Gardens.

They will enter the permanent collection of National Portrait Gallery, of which the Duchess is a patron, in celebration of this milestone birthday.

It marks a notably glamorous moment for the Duchess, with the portraits reminiscent of Cecil Beaton’s fashionable, stylized official portraits of Queen Elizabeth and Princess Margaret throughout the 1940s and 1950s. Her choice of McQueen is also a fitting one, as she notably wore the designer for her 2011 wedding to Prince William.

Her jewelry serves as a touching tribute both to her husband’s late mother, as well as his grandmother, the Queen. By choosing pieces from both women, the Duchess once again proves her ability to visually acknowledge the royals who have served before her, while firmly establishing her own, forward-looking sense of style.

Vogue’s Favorites

• The Best Celebrity Wedding Moments in Vogue
• Vogue Editors Share the Best Bedding for a Better Night’s Sleep
• Gabriella de Givenchy Wore Her Family’s Haute Couture to Wed on the Cliffs of Capri
• Dreamy Airbnb Cabins to Fantasize About, From Finland to the Catskills
• Sign up for Vogue’s shopping newsletter The Get to receive the insider’s guide to what to shop and how to wear it