Kate Middleton and Prince William looks stunning in first official joint portrait

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have posed for their first official joint portrait.

Prince William and his wife Catherine sat for British artist Jamie Coreth at Kensington Palace twice together and once each separately so he could work on the painting, which was commissioned at the time of their 10th wedding anniversary in April 2021 and is intended to celebrate their ties to Cambridgeshire.

The portrait was commissioned by the Cambridgeshire Royal Portrait Fund as a gift for the county and the royal couple helped choose the artist, with Catherine thought to have seen his work at the National Portrait Gallery, of which she is patron, when he won the Young Artist Award at the BP Portrait Exhibition.

The pair viewed the finished work at the University of Cambridge's Fitzwilliam Museum on as part of their day visit to the county.

The artist admitted it had been an "extraordinary privilege" to have been chosen for the work.

He said: "It has been the most extraordinary privilege of my life to be chosen to paint this picture.

"I wanted to show Their Royal Highnesses in a manner where they appeared both relaxed and approachable, as well as elegant and dignified.

"As it is the first portrait to depict them together, and specifically during their time as The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, I wanted the image to evoke a feeling of balance between their public and private lives.

"The piece was commissioned as a gift for the people of Cambridgeshire, and I hope they will enjoy it as much as I have enjoyed creating it.”

William is depicted in a suit and blue tie, while Catherine donned a green Vampire's Wife dress, which was accessorised with a brooch belonging to Queen Elizabeth and earrings once owned by her husband's late mother, Princess Diana.

The city of Cambridge is represented in the background with "the tones and colours of many of the historical stone buildings that are synonymous with the city" and it also features a hexagonal architectural motif that can be seen on many local buildings.

Photo / Getty

After three years on display at the museum, the portrait will be taken on a tour of local galleries and community spaces and will be loaned to the National Portrait Gallery in 2023 when the facility reopens.

Meanwhile, the Duchess of Cambridge got behind the wheel of a tank when she took part in training exercises for the British Army.

The 40-year-old royal joined new recruits at Pirbright Training in November, when she spent time with the 101 Operational Sustainment Brigade at Abingdon Airfield and got to see first-hand what new recruits are asked to do, including hitching up a trailer and learning the controls of an armoured vehicle.

Catherine paid tribute to the "brave men and women" of the services as she released pictures from her visit in honour of Armed Forces Day.

In a personal message shared on Instagram alongside the photos of her dressed in military gear and speaking to the squaddies, she wrote: "Today on Armed Forces Day, William and I would like to pay tribute to the brave men and women, past and present, serving in all of our armed forces, at sea, on land and in the air, here in the UK and around the world. Thank you for all you and your families sacrifice to keep us safe.

"Last year, I was honoured to spend time with the @BritishArmy to see how they train serving personnel and new recruits. It was wonderful to see first-hand the many important and varied roles the military play day in, day out to protect us all, and I look forward to discovering more about the @RoyalNavy and @RoyalAirForceUK in due course."

The message was signed with a C, indicating it had come personally from the duchess.

Catherine's tribute comes after it was previously claimed the duchess - who has three children with husband Prince William - is being lined up to replace Prince Andrew as colonel of the Grenadier Guards after the Duke of York handed back his patronages and military titles earlier this year ahead of his civil case with Virginia Giuffre.

A source said recently: "We all admire the way she has fitted in and behaved, she never seems to put a foot wrong. Everything she has taken on she really commits to, and we want someone who will really engage with us."

If she does receive the role, Catherine would be the regiment's first female colonel in 80 years since Queen Elizabeth, who was then Princess Elizabeth, held the role in 1942.

- Bang! Showbiz