Kate picks places close to heart for birthday portraits’ first public display

Paolo Roversi’s photographs will be on view at the Middleton family church – and at St Andrews university, where William and Kate first met.

Portraits of the Duchess of Cambridge taken to mark her 40th birthday are to go on public display for the first time – in places close to Kate’s heart (Paolo Roversi/PA) (PA Media)

Portraits of the Duchess of Cambridge taken to mark her 40th birthday are to go on public display for the first time – in places close to Kate’s heart.

The glamorous shots of the duchess by celebrated fashion photographer Paolo Roversi will feature in four venues around the UK linked to Kate’s childhood and her relationship with the Duke of Cambridge.

They include the Middleton family church, St Andrews university where William and Kate first met, and on the island of Anglesey where they lived as newlyweds.

William watches fiancee Kate pour champagne at Trearddur Bay Lifeboat Station on Anglesey in 2011 ahead of their wedding (Phil Noble/PA) (PA Archive)

The exhibitions form part of the National Portrait Gallery’s Coming Home project, which sees the gallery lend portraits of famous people to places with which they are closely associated.

The locations were selected in consultation with Kate, who was described as having a special affinity with each one.

One of Paolo Roversi’s birthday portraits of Kate (Paolo Roversi/Duke and Duchess of Cambridge/PA) (PA Media)

A black and white shot of the duchess – in profile looking left – will be on view first from March 22 to April 5 at St James the Less in the Berkshire village of Pangbourne.

The church is where Kate’s family have been parishioners for generations.

The photograph will then move to the Reading Museum – close to the Royal Berkshire Hospital where the duchess was born in 1982 – with the image appearing from April 7 to June 4.

St James the Less Church in Pangbourne, Berkshire , will display one of Kate’s portraits (Brian Gibbs/Alamy Stock Photo/PA)

A picture of the duchess with her hair flowing and wearing a red Alexander McQueen dress will be on show between June 13 and September 30 at the Wardlaw Museum at the University of St Andrews.

William and Kate met as students at the university in Fife, when Kate was studying history of art, as was William before he switched to geography.

William and Kate passing St Salvator’s – the halls at St Andrews where they met – during a visit in 2011 (Andrew Milligan/PA) (PA Archive)

The third photograph in Roversi’s series shows Kate in a white dress, smiling straight at the camera.

This portrait will be displayed at Anglesey’s Oriel Mon museum between July 16 and October 2.

William and Kate had a home on Anglesey in north Wales before their wedding while William worked as an RAF search and rescue helicopter pilot.

This portraits of Kate will be on view on Anglesey in north Wales (Paolo Roversi/Duke and Duchess of Cambridge/PA) (PA Media)

They remained there during the early years of their marriage, eventually moving to London soon after the birth of their first child Prince George in 2013.

Nicholas Cullinan, director of the National Portrait Gallery, of which Kate is patron, said: “As one of her first and earliest patronages, we are delighted to be sharing Paolo Roversi’s wonderful portraits, taking each to a place of resonance across the United Kingdom for Her Royal Highness as part of our Coming Home project.”

Kate celebrated her 40th birthday on January 9 this year. The portraits can be visited free of charge.