Catherine, Princess of Wales
- Artist: Paul Emsley
- Date: 2012
- Medium: oil on canvas
- Dimensions: 45 3/8 in. x 38 in. (1152 mm x 965 mm)
- Portrays: Catherine, Princess of Wales
- Museum: The National Portrait Gallery
- Collection record: The National Portrait Gallery website
Listen to the free audio guide
About this artwork
This is “Catherine, Princess of Wales.” In this 2012 oil‑on‑canvas portrait the sitter stands against a dark backdrop, her head and shoulders filling the frame. The light falls softly across her face, revealing subtle details in her eyes and the gentle curve of her jaw.
Artist Paul Emsley – a Glasgow‑born painter who grew up in South Africa and won the 2007 BP Portrait Award – chose this close scale to bring the Duchess into the viewer’s space. He worked from two sittings, one at Kensington Palace and another in his studio, giving the portrait a blend of royal formality and intimate immediacy.
See it in person
Catherine, Princess of Wales is in the collection of The National Portrait Gallery at St Martin's Place, London — free to enter. Point your phone at any artwork there and audioguide.london plays a free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
