Quirky portrait of Kate Middleton on Tatler's July cover is branded 'dreadful' and 'nothing like the Princess of Wales' by royal fans who say the artist 'should've gone to Specsavers'

Tatler has unveiled a new portrait of the Princess of Wales on its latest cover to honour Kate's 'strength and dignity' - but royal fans have branded it 'dreadful' and 'nothing like the royal'.

The cover of the British society bible's July issue is dominated by the quirky painting, which was inspired by the mother-of-three's first state banquet of the King's reign and created by British-Zambian artist Hannah Uzor.

Kate - who has stepped back from public duties amid her cancer diagnosis - did not sit for the artwork. Instead, Uzor used different photographs to make the unique painting, declared 'a portrait of strength and dignity' by the magazine.

However, people online were left less than impressed by the artwork, with one individual writing on X, formerly Twitter: 'You cannot be serious. That looks nothing like her.'

Another person insisted: 'Looks like it was created by a child,' while a third added: 'She needs to make an appointment urgently with Specsavers because who in the Princess of Wales is that?'

Tatler has unveiled a new portrait of the Princess of Wales on its latest cover (pictured)

Attending the first state banquet of King Charles's reign at Buckingham Palace in November 2022, the Princess, 42, stole the show in a gem embellished white dress from her favoured Jenny Packham as she entertained the president of South Africa.

Featuring a statement cape, the dazzling gown was paired with Queen Mary's Lover's Knot Tiara and her late mother-in-law Princess Diana's diamond and pearl drop earrings, all of which are captured in detail in Uzor's painting.

But for some, the elegant outfit is the only part of the portrait they easily recognise. One person said on X: 'Doesn’t look like Catherine at all. If she wasn’t wearing that dress I’d have no clue as to who it’s meant to be.'

Another individual wrote: 'Is this a joke? That is never the Princess, that is another woman in her dress. It also looks like she has much shorter hair. This cover photo should not be published like this. It is an insult to Princess Catherine!'

The painting has also been criticised by the managing director of a London gallery for 'falling short in fully encapsulating the strength suggested by its title'.

Grove Gallery's Alex Bury told MailOnline: 'Hannah Uzor’s new portrait of Kate , the Princess of Wales, graces the cover of Tatler Magazine, aiming to portray strength and dignity. 

'However, this depiction falls somewhat short of fully capturing these qualities. While the title suggests a portrait of strength, the artwork itself leans more towards a sense of calm and dignity.

'The light and dark blue background provides a soothing, tranquil atmosphere, a stark contrast to Jonathan Yeo’s recent portrait of King Charles III, dominated by chaotic red hues. 

Attending the first state banquet of King Charles 's reign at Buckingham Palace in November 2022, the Princess, 42, stole the show in a gem embellished white dress from her favoured Jenny Packham as she entertained the president of South Africa

Reaction: People online were left less than impressed by the artwork, with one individual writing on X, formerly Twitter : 'You cannot be serious. That looks nothing like her.'

However, not everyone was disappointed with the painting. One person wrote on X: 'I like it, well done'

Featuring a statement cape, the dazzling gown was paired with Queen Mary 's Lover's Knot Tiara and her late mother-in-law Princess Diana 's diamond and pearl drop earrings, all of which are captured in detail in Uzor's painting (pictured)

'This calmer backdrop suggests a different artistic direction, one that emphasises stability and serenity over overt strength.'

Alex added: 'The eyes in this portrait fail to capture the true beauty and engaging presence of the Princess of Wales. 

'This misalignment between the serene, almost passive expression in the portrait and the vibrant personality seen in her public appearances detracts from the overall impact of the piece. It lacks the femininity of power and dignity that she naturally exudes.'

Uzor prepared the portrait by looking at pictures of Kate, explaining: '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?’ 

'[Kate] has really risen up to her role – she was born for this. She carries herself with such dignity, elegance and grace,' said Uzor. ‘I sense with her the joy of motherhood.' 

In March, Kate revealed her own cancer diagnosis and said in a deeply emotional video message that she is undergoing 'preventative' chemotherapy. 

Discussing whether the Princess' video gave her a new perspective, the artist added: 'Without a doubt. All my portraits are made up of layers of a personality, constructed from everything I can find about them.'  

The video added another layer to Uzor’s reading of the Princess, apparently showing ‘a moment of dealing with something difficult, speaking from the heart, having the courage to tackle it head-on.’

The cover of the British society bible's July issue is dominated by the painting, which was inspired by the mother-of-three's first state banquet of the King's reign and created by British-Zambian artist Hannah Uzor, pictured at her home in St Albans

Tatler's latest commission is its third portraiture special and Uzor, who is a mother of three and based in St Albans, is the third artist sourced by The Akoje Gallery to receive a commission from the magazine. She follows Sarah Knights, whose portrait of King Charles III appeared on Tatler’s July 2023 cover

Oluwole Omofemi's tribute to Queen Elizabeth II graced the magazine's commemorative Platinum Jubilee cover in 2022

Tatler's latest commission is its third portraiture special and Uzor, who is a mother of three and based in St Albans, is the third artist sourced by The Akoje Gallery to receive a commission from the magazine.

She follows Sarah Knights, whose portrait of King Charles III appeared on Tatler’s July 2023 cover, and Oluwole Omofemi, whose tribute to Queen Elizabeth II graced the magazine's commemorative Platinum Jubilee cover in 2022. 

Both of these projects inspired rugby star Maro Itoje and his business partner Khalil Akar to create The Akoje Residency Programme in collaboration with the King’s Foundation, which provides opportunities for African, Caribbean and diasporic artists to spend time at Dumfries House in Scotland to focus on their artistic practice.

Uzor's artwork comes after the release of the first official portrait of the King, which divided opinion online thanks to its 'fiery' shading.

The painting was commissioned back in 2020 to celebrate the then-Prince of Wales's 50 years as a member of The Drapers' Company.

Renowned artist Jonathan Yeo had four sittings over several years, beginning when His Majesty was Prince of Wales in June 2021 at Highgrove, and later at Clarence House.

Charles was still sitting for the portrait, unveiled earlier this month at Buckingham Palace, when Queen Elizabeth died on September 8th 2022 and he became monarch. 

The 'fiery' painting - which is mainly red in colour - depicts His Majesty wearing the uniform of the Welsh Guards, of which he was made Regimental Colonel in 1975. 

Kate put her best fashion foot forward in a gem embellished white gown from her favoured Jenny Packham as she joined Prince William at the state banquet in November 2022

The Princess of Wales accompanied a member of the South African delegation at the state banquet at Buckingham Palace in November 2022

The Princess of Wales at the state banquet at Buckingham Palace in November 2022. She can be seen wearing Queen Mary's Lover's Knot Tiara, as well as a pair of diamond and pearl drop earrings, both of which were favourites of her late mother-in-law Diana

Meanwhile, Kate was revealed yesterday as the 'driving force' behind a new report calling on businesses to introduce more family-friendly working practices.

Her Royal Foundation Business Taskforce for Early Childhood has unveiled a major new report which argues that investing in early childhood could generate more than £45.5 billion for the national economy each year.

Downing Street, as well as senior ministers in the departments of health and education, have already been briefed about its findings - although palace officials are at pains to point out that it is not a political campaign.

A Kensington Palace spokesman also stressed that the news should not be seen as Kate returning to work after undergoing major abdominal surgery and revealing she was undergoing 'preventative chemotherapy' for cancer. She has not undertaken public engagements at all this year.

But they confirmed that she has been across every aspect of the report from home, despite her illness.

Her spokesman said: 'The work of The Prince and Princess' projects is "always on"…early childhood is a huge priority for The Princess and so she has been kept fully updated throughout the development of the Taskforce's work and she has seen the report. '

A senior royal aide added: 'The Princess of Wales was the driving force behind the business task force. She has been kept up to date since the inception of the task force and she has read the report and been briefed on it.

'This is a clear commitment she has made that throughout her life of public service that this will be focus. That will continue when she returns to work. But we have been really clear that she needs the space and the privacy to recover right now. She will return to work when she has had the green light from doctors.'

Artist Jonathan Yeo poses next to his painting of the King at Buckingham Palace on May 14

Christian Guy, executive director of the early childhood centre, added: 'This is another crucial moment for HRH's early childhood work...its impact, and the work of her Centre for Early I know, having briefed The Princess on this, that she is enormously grateful to the members of the Taskforce who have made such fantastic progress on this work over the past year.

'She feels passionately about the transformational impact of getting this right together, both for the current generation and for many more to come. I know that she is keen to encourage all businesses, no matter what their size or purpose, to join us on this journey and is looking forward to seeing momentum grow in the coming months.'

A source close to the Princess said: 'She is excited about it. Action is so important for her, so having eight of the most important businesses in Britain come forward to make the case to their fellow business leaders is exciting to her. It's a priority going forward.'

The report is the result of six months of research into how businesses can better prioritise children in the most crucial stage of their lives between birth and five.

Taskforce members - Aviva, The Co-operative Group, Deloitte, Iceland Foods, IKEA, The LEGO Group, NatWest and Unilever UK - have identified key opportunities for firms to help their workforce, whether they be a small coffee shop in Wolverhampton or a major international corporation.

It argues proper investment in the field could generate more than £45.5 billion for the economy, including £12.2 billion from helping improve people's social and emotional skills in the earliest years, a £16.1 billion saving in public funds on remedial help for those who have adverse childhood experiences and £17.2 billion from supporting working parents, particularly with more affordable childcare.

The reports' authors also set out how 'building a culture' that prioritises early childhood within businesses, local communities and wider society is crucial in preventing a raft of social, health and mental issues in later life.

This includes offering parents and carers greater practical support, resources and flexibility with their work, and better access to quality, affordable and reliable early childhood education and care.

And it issued a 'major rallying call' to their fellow business leaders across the country to stand with them and the princess.

Firms such as The Co-op have already committed to raising £5 million over the next five years to create more than 600 apprenticeships, while NatWet is extending its lending target for the child care sector to £100 million.

In a joint statement the eight inaugural taskforce members said: 'Last year the Princess of Wales brought us together. She asked us to think radically about our approach to early childhood and the golden opportunity it presents to transform the lives of children…

'If we get this right, the results for business, for the economy and for society are clear for all to see. '

Mr Guy added: 'Tomorrow some of the most significant businesses in Britain will be joining forces to deliver a 'major early years rallying call' to their fellow business leaders across the country … urging their peers to stand with them, the Centre for Early Childhood, and The Princess to help transform the way our country supports the vital early years.

'Through a landmark report and by announcing the first tranche of initiatives they have developed, Taskforce members are stepping forward to make the case forhy other businesses need to act alongside them - for the good of the country now and in the future, including to unlock an enormous £45bn economic return for Britain.' 

Further details on the report and its findings can be seen at centreforearlychildhood.org.

See the full feature in the July issue of Tatler, available via digital download and on newsstands from Thursday 30 May.