Kate Middleton Lands First British Vogue Cover In Its Centenary Issue, Follows In Princess Diana’s Footsteps

Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge, has landed her first British Vogue cover. The British fashion bible celebrates its centenary issue with the exclusive photoshoot. The magazine’s June issue features seven new photographs of the 34-year-old royal taken by British photographer Josh Olins.

Kate’s photo was captured on camera by Olins at her and Prince William’s Norfolk countryside home Anmer hall in January where they live with their two children. The princess looked natural in the pictures, which were released as part of the collaboration between British Vogue and the National Portrait Gallery. In one picture, Kate wears a brown suede jacket by Burberry paired with a white shirt and dons a classic dark green fedora hat. She wears her long brunette tresses in loose waves and her signature blow dry.

The mother-of-two also shows off her striking bold brows and brown lipstick. In the second picture, Kate looks chic in a black and red striped long sleeved top by Petit Bateau while leaning over a gate. The picture shows her sapphire and diamond engagement ring, which once belonged to her mum-in-law, while her hair is left in beachy waves.

Kate participated in the photoshoot as a patron of the National Portrait Gallery, a role she has held since 2012. Two pictures from the photoshoot have been added to the “Vogue 100: A Century of Style” exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery, which will be available for public viewing from Monday.

“The Duchess had never taken part in a photography shoot like this before. She hopes that people appreciate the portraits with the sense of relaxed fun with which they were taken,” a spokesperson said. Olins, a famed British photographer who is known for capturing a quiet elegance in his portraits, was chosen for the landmark photoshoot.

“It’s a privilege to have been chosen to photograph HRH The Duchess of Cambridge for the Centenary issue of British Vogue… This was the Duchess’s first sitting for a magazine and she was a joy to work with, a natural,” he said. The Editor-in-Chief of British Vogue Alexandra Shulman said that the photographer captured Kate’s personality in the pictures.

It reflected the duchess “full of life, with a great sense of humor, thoughtful and intelligent" and very beautiful persona, she said, adding it also shows her love for the countryside, interest in photography and championing the cause of the National Portrait Gallery. Kate is following in the footsteps of her mother-in-law Princess Diana, the “People’s Princess” who appeared thrice on the cover of Vogue.

The June centenary issue of British Vogue hits newsstands Thursday.