“As it is the first portrait to depict them together, and specifically during their time as The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, I wanted the image to evoke a feeling of balance between their public and private lives,” Coreth said, per People.
I know what you’re thinking—”the artist depicted Kate wearing a dress by ‘The Vampire’s Wife’ as she stands alongside her husband, future King of England, in their first official portrait? Is that not…shady?” The meaning behind the name of the fashion brand, though, is actually kind of sweet. The Vampire’s Wife was founded by Susie Cave, wife of prolific musician Nick Cave, and named after one of Nick’s abandoned book projects. The brand is beloved in Hollywood, with famous fans including Maggie Gyllenhaal, Natalie Portman, and Dakota Johnson.
DUBLIN, IRELAND – MARCH 03: Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge attends a reception with Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, hosted by the British Ambassador to Ireland Robin Barnett, at the Guinness Storehouse’s Gravity Bar during day one of their visit to Ireland on March 03, 2020 in Dublin, Ireland. (Photo by James Whatling – WPA Pool/Getty Images)WPA Pool/Getty Images
The emerald green dress is one of two Vampire’s Wife pieces the Kate Middleton has worn for public events. She’s also been spotted in a Barbie pink gown in a similarly shimmery material. The choice of such a modern label for such a significant portrait seems intentional, too, a foreshadowing of the 21st century flavor the couple have brought to the centuries-old monarchy.
Maybe we’ll see a third dress at the couple’s joint 40th birthday party later this summer?
