She is destined to be the next Catherine the Great. The Weekly celebrates Catherine’s new life as the Duchess of Cambridge by commissioning this portrait by award-winning Australian painter Robert Hannaford.
The artist captures Catherine’s ‘character and humanity’ in this remarkable portrait, which The Weekly is auctioning.
All proceeds go to the Royal Flying Doctor Service — the only Australian charity nominated by Catherine and Prince William to receive donations, in lieu of wedding gifts.
Click here to bid on our beautiful portrait of Catherine
Today, Prince William and his new wife, a middle-class girl from a commuter village, 45 minutes drive from London, are being hailed as the future of the monarchy. Yet who is this young woman who will one day be crowned and how will she fare as a future queen?
While royal protocol dictates that we will have King Charles and possibly Queen Camilla before King William and Queen Catherine, the latter reign is likely to be both the longest and the more effective. Unsurprisingly, polls ahead of the royal wedding showed the majority of Britons are in favour of Charles abdicating and handing the crown to his son.
Queen Elizabeth II, however, has vowed to serve until she dies and the crown will pass, according to the order of succession, to Charles. For the time being, it means William, an RAF search-and-rescue pilot, and Catherine can enjoy their lives in relative peace and privacy.
The couple has returned from their honeymoon to their home on the Welsh island of Anglesey and made it clear they want life to return to normal now that the excitement around their wedding has calmed down.
Catherine still does the weekly grocery shop — just days after her wedding, she was spotted stocking up at a local supermarket — and they have turned down Prince Charles’ offer for a team of aides, preferring instead to carry out chores themselves.
Yet, inevitably, it will be a journey that at times will seem daunting and Catherine will be dependent on her naturally warm nature and ready smile.
Click here to bid on our beautiful portrait of Catherine
Auction terms and conditions:
Individuals are required to register their details with Grays Online and create a user name and password prior to submitting a bid.
Participation in the auction is subject to the Grays Online User Agreement.
It is a condition of submitting a bid on the Grays Online website that the bidder is 18 or over.
Individuals are required to provide their credit card details when registering with Grays Online.
Auction opens 3/06/11 and closes 28/06/11.
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