The subliminal messaging behind Kate Middleton's birthday portraits revealed via TikTok

Kate Middleton's trio of portraits released to mark her 40th birthday could represent the past, present and future of the monarchy. 

• Kensington Palace released three new portraits to mark Kate Middleton’s 40th birthday.
• A royal TikTok influencer revealed her theory behind the portraits.
• In other royal news, Sophie Wessex's proposal from Edward echoed Princess Diana and Sarah Ferguson's.

Three new portraits of Kate Middleton have been released to mark the Duchess of Cambridge’s 40th birthday. 

And now a royal Tik Tok influencer, @matta_of_fact, has weighed in on what she thinks the three photographs represent. 

Explaining that there seems to be an evolution in the images, Amanda's theory is that the portraits reflect the past, present and future of the monarchy. 

"I think these portraits are meant to represent the royal family's vision of their own past, present and future," she confessed.

The Tik Tok star suggested the "tin type" colour scheme used in the first portrait of Kate Middleton draws comparisons to a 1950's portrait of Princess Margaret and a portrait of Queen Victoria. 

"We've seen them try to connect Kate to royal women of the past, namely Princess Diana (the engagement ring) but this is the first time we've really seen them go past monarchs and past rulers and it's very much giving regal, timeless, classically beautiful and elegant but also powerful."

@matta_of_fact

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Moving on to the second portrait—in which Kate is much closer to the camera and beaming with her hair loose over her shoulders—TikTok's Amanda is convinced this is a nod to the eighties.

"A lot of you guys were saying eighties glamour shot, which I absolutely agree with. It's soft focus, you have the waves in the hair and you have the one-shouldered dress. Again, it's very much of Princess Diana's time."

However, the royal watcher went on to remind fans that Kate was born in the 1980's and could be paying homage to the era for that reason.

"I think this one is a tie-in to Diana and her own upbringing. It's a bit fun, it's a bit playful but it's also very visually comfortable and visually what we've seen before. Therefore, the present."

Which brings Amanda on to the final portrait. And noticeably, the only one in colour, to highlight the Duchess' gorgeous red gown. 

Highlighting the risks taken in this third and final portrait, the TikTok star explained, "Off the shoulder and a hand in the pocket? What will the critics say?"

She added, "If we're going with this interpretation, then this is the future of the monarchy that the royal family wants us to envision.

"The past two pictures, Kate was wearing Princess Diana's pearl earrings, but in this one she is wearing Queen Elizabeth's diamond earrings."

Despite the fact Kate Middleton will not be Queen until Prince Charles' reign is over, there is something to be said for Amanda's theory. 

"This is a through-line being drawn from Queen Elizabeth II to Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge. 

"It is also a more sophisticated, more polished version of Kate than we've gotten in a long time."

It's certainly an interesting theory!