Artist Hannah Uzor tells the magazine that the Princess’s cancer diagnosis had ‘without a doubt’ changed the way she painted her
A new portrait of the Princess of Wales has been unveiled on Tatler’s July cover as the artist said the video revealing her cancer treatment influenced the painting.
Hannah Uzor, a British-Zambian artist, said the Princess’s diagnosis had “without a doubt” changed the way she depicted the royal, 41, who is continuing her treatment for cancer.
The artist, who is also a mother of three, said: “All my portraits are made up of layers of a personality, constructed from everything I can find about them.”
She added that the intimate video of the Princess discussing her diagnosis and the impact it had on her family had shown “a moment of dealing with something difficult, speaking from the heart, having the courage to tackle it head-on”.
The new portrait of the Princess, inspired by her appearance at the first state banquet of the King’s reign, marks the magazine’s third royal portraiture special.
It shows her dressed in a white caped Jenny Packham gown wearing the Strathmore Rose tiara at last year’s state banquet for the president of South Korea held at Buckingham Palace.
The painting follows the portrait of the late Queen by the Nigerian artist Oluwole Omofemi to celebrate her Platinum Jubilee in 2022 and the July 2023 portrait of the newly crowned King Charles by the Trinidadian artist Sarah Knights.
The collection forms part of the new Akoje Residency, in collaboration with the King’s Foundation, for African, Caribbean and diasporic artists to take part in a residency at Dumfries House in Scotland.
Ms Uzor, who was chosen as the artist to paint the Princess of Wales, had just three weeks to complete the commission for Tatler.
She told the magazine that she was “unfazed”, adding: “Once I start painting, it will only take me two or three days.”
The artist’s first solo show is open at the Niru Ratnam gallery in Fitzrovia, central London, after she recently finished an MA at the Slade School of Fine Art.
She has credited her interest in history and in diasporic culture as one of the driving forces of her work.
For the commission of the Princess, she scanned thousands of photographs of the royal and explained: “When you can’t meet the sitter in person, you have to look at everything you can find and piece together the subtle human moments revealed in different photographs.”
She added: “Do they have a particular way of standing or holding their head or hands? Do they have a recurrent gesture?”
She explained that she chose the “green-blue” background “based on her eye colour and also trying to get elements of being in a garden and on water – rowing being one of her [favourite] sports and in some pictures”.
The Princess is a keen sportswoman and has frequently been pictured rowing, playing tennis and taking part in other activities such as rugby.
Describing her portrait’s subject, Ms Uzor said: “She has really risen up to her role – she was born for this. She carries herself with such dignity, elegance and grace.”
The fellow mother of three added: “I sense with her the joy of motherhood.”
While she hasn’t met the Princess, the artist has previously spoken with the King during his tour of the Africa Centre, in south London, in January last year.
The new unofficial portrait of the Princess was commissioned by Tatler magazine, with no involvement from the Princess or palace.
