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The first official painted portrait of the Duchess of Cambridge was unveiled today in London and reviews are… mixed, to put it lightly. Created by artist Paul Emsley, the painting is quite dark, save for the glowing face of a serene-looking Kate Middleton with more of a Mona Lisa half-smile than the joyful grin we’re used to. “The Duchess explained that she would like to be portrayed naturally—her natural self—as opposed to her official self,” explained Emsley in a video about the work (which you can watch below). And yet, the painting seems much more official than casual—we’re not the only ones who think it would be the perfect portrait to appear on, say, currency? (We can hope!)

The painting does, however, capture Kate Middleton’s enviable hair. “We did say in the beginning we were going to make a feature of her hair, because it is a strong feature about her and everyone, I think, recognizes her in part through her lovely hair,” Emsley noted.

See all of Kate’s recent appearances and outfits »

There seems to be a direct correlation between the amount of time since we last saw Kate Middleton in public and the number of “royal sources” who are more than willing to share reports about our dear Duchess of Cambridge. Case in point: we’ve seen barely a glimpse of Kate since December (a surprise TV appearance was barely satisfying and zoom-lens shots from Christmas provided little intel) and the rumours are running rampant.

First up, the rumour we hope is true: Victoria Beckham will be designing maternity wear for Kate Middleton.

See all of Kate’s recent appearances and outfits »

Kate Middleton’s 31st birthday is next week and, right on schedule, there’s a fresh batch of rumours about what her husband has planned for the big day. Well, we hope Kate stays off the internet until January 9 if she wants to be surprised: Royal sources are claiming that Prince William is on the hunt for a house. Of course, given that he’s the Duke of Cambridge and she’s the Duchess, this isn’t any ordinary piece of real estate. Kate Middleton’s birthday gift is said to be in the £5 million range, as the royal couple want a home on a property so large that it will trump the prying eyes of curious paparazzi and zoom-lens cameras. (Remember what happened in France?)

See all of Kate’s recent appearances and outfits » Christmas time is family time at its best—a sentiment that was especially embraced by the Duchess of Cambridge, who opted to spend her last Christmas before motherhood with her own family at their home in Berkshire alongside Prince William, rather than with the rest of the […]

The post Kate Middleton opts for a low-key Christmas look while spending the day with her family appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

By Randi Bergman and Meredith Gillies

2012 has been quite the year. We’ve waited for Carly Rae Jepsen’s phone to ring since what feels like forever, we developed major girl crushes on Girls director/writer, Lena Dunham, and we felt like we’d never be as cool as Azealia Banks. Jepsen, Banks and Dunham may have rocked our worlds this year, but in the world of fashion, important things that have gone down too. There have been soaring highs, crashing lows, and shocking changes for celebrities, designers and even journalists.

Designer shifts at Balenciaga and Dior that are just a sampling of what seems like an endless list of fashion shakeups that went down over the past 12 months including Stefano Pilati and Hedi Slimane at Yves Saint Laurent, YSL becoming simple Saint Laurent Paris and more. And speaking of shakeups, Kristen Stewart’s rise from a teen queen to a heartbreaking fragrance face has been epic to say the least. So let’s look back, reflect, and count down together the events that made 2012 so real.

See our list of 2012’s top influencers »

See Kate Middleton’s Alexander McQueen gown up close! »

Last week Sarah Burton said she would like to create custom maternity wear pieces for Kate Middleton and, low and behold, last night the Duchess made her first official post-pregnancy-announcement appearance in an Alexander McQueen gown. Though to be completely fair, there was barely a baby bump to be seen, making the dress less maternity wear and more custom order. The bell-sleeve gown—which featured peplum detailing and a flattering thigh-high slit—was a stunning shade of emerald green, chosen by Kate herself. (It was originally designed in black.) Meaning that not even extreme sickness can keep Kate Middleton from being on trend: Emerald is, after all, Pantone’s just-announced Colour of the Year for 2013.

See our Alexander McQueen maternity wear picks for Kate Middleton »

Yesterday, an extremely pregnant—seven months to be exact—Sarah Burton was made an Officer of the British Empire for her contributions to British Fashion or as we’d like to think, for designing the wedding dress of Kate Middleton.

Burton’s designs for Alexander McQueen have become a go-to for the Duchess of Cambridge and right before Kate’s pregnancy announcement, she was spotted in a custom made McQueen coat while playing field hockey—an unofficial pregnancy look.

See this outfit up close in our complete Kate Middleton style gallery »

Since Monday’s very exciting announcement that the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are expecting, all eyes have literally been on the front doors of the King Edward VII hospital, awaiting any additional news about Kate Middleton’s pregnancy. (Seriously: scroll down here to see just how many cameras were stationed outside.) After four days of almost no news—other than rumours, a super creepy Prince William imposter and a terrible prank phone call—Kate was finally released from the hospital and sent home to Kensington Palace for further rest. We’re not the only ones incredibly excited to see her glowing face, right?

Prince William of course accompanied Kate from the hospital and the two wore almost-matching shades of periwinkle-blue—him in a sweater and her in a scarf. The colour complemented Kate Middleton’s herringbone-print Diane von Furstenberg coat perfectly.

See our 10 wardrobe picks for Kate Middleton’s pregnancy »
See all of Kate Middleton’s recent outfits in our full gallery »

After months and months of speculation, St. James Palace has finally confirmed what we’d been hoping: The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are expecting a baby! Rejoice! Clink those morning coffees! A Royal baby will be coming to a Palace not near you in T-minus 6 months!

See Kate Middleton’s Alexander McQueen tartan coat up close! »

Wardrobe watching aside, the best part of any Kate Middleton engagement is when we get to see the Duchess in action. From creating art with her father-in-law, Prince Charles, to learning a new dance in the South Pacific, it’s nice to see that royals can be just like us. (Sort of.) Which brings us to today: Kate Middleton visited her old preparatory school, St. Andrew’s, and while there she toured the grounds, made a speech and participated in some field hockey. Unlike her last time on the field, Kate didn’t make a wardrobe change. She kept her black Aquatalia boots on and thankfully they didn’t seem to hinder her movement or make a dent into the astroturf.

View the Pippa Middleton and Lee Radziwill photos »
View our Kate Middleton wardrobe gallery »

Midway through the seventies, Lee Radziwill—her cheekbones Chopard-sharp and her heels Louboutin-high—was the society mountaineer of the decade. Having held court on the international party circuit, the former princess and sister of Jackie Kennedy Onassis grew tired of being known solely as the belle of all balls and decided it was high time she got a job. She snapped up a plum TV position hosting a CBS talk show called Conversations With Lee Radziwill, an opportunity offered to her by good friend and broadcast impresario Bill Paley (husband of Babe). The show’s MO seemed right up Radziwill’s alley as it involved purring sit-downs with the famous (translation: her friends). Filmed in the sitting room of her Fifth Avenue pad, her show’s subjects ran the gamut from Gloria Steinem to Rudolf Nureyev to Jaws scribe Peter Benchley. Unfortunately, the show was bludgeoned in the ratings. One particular interview with Halston left few limbs intact: When Radziwill asked the famed designer what clothes from his label women could purchase for $25 or less, he gravely shot back, “Nothing.” The show was cancelled after six episodes.

“I’m nobody’s kid sister,” coursed the cover quote next to Lee Radziwill’s visage on the front of People magazine in November 1976, cresting her Easy Breezy hair and artichoke-sized diamond studs. That magazine tag could easily be attached to another professional kid sister—Pippa Middleton.

See all of Kate Middleton’s recent bang-ful appearances »

Well, isn’t this interesting. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge made their first visit to the city that bears their official title—the first ever for the Duchess, and the first in official capacity for Prince William since being married. Arriving by train from Kings Cross station in London (but maybe not this platform), the couple made several stops. But before they could get to them, the Duke and Duchess were met by throngs of fans who had lined the streets in hopes of meeting them. One fan gave Prince William a “babygro,” which upon googling, we learned was a baby jumpsuit. Awks.

Beginning with a visit to Cambridge University’s Guildhall, the Duke and Duchess were greeted by Lord Sainsbury of Turville, the Chancellor of the University and met with several staff members including her father’s first cousin, Dr. Penny Barton. According the BBC, Prince William made a lovely speech about the city being “a place renowned the world over for its dynamism, beauty and learning” and Dr. Barton responded by saying that Kate had made the family “proud.”