40th birthday photos

Or Kate Bush even!

It's fine to say it GSM, these are only observations after all and so far we have avoided the argumentative anti monarchy comments!
I actually think her hair and the overall styling looks a bit like Catherine Earnshaw in Wuthering Heights.

I agree Fanny but was too cowardly to say it!

Behold!

Josieann I’m not sure if she will be all that keen on how she looks, her hair in particular.
I’ve just seen the ‘red dress’ picture
in The Times.
Her hair (which is exceptionally lovely) doesn’t look any where near as voluminous, glossy and perfect as when she does it herself.
For some reason it looks relatively stringy, washed out and dull.

I’m a great fan of the Duchess of Cambridge but agree with Iam64 that I prefer the spontaneous pictures of her in “work” or off duty situations.

Maybe on this very personal milestone occasion this is exactly how Catherine herself wanted to look? Presumably it was her choice to have her hair flowing, to wear a frilly dress and a bright colour. The thing that stuck me was the absence of jewellery too, so it is all about her natural beauty both on the inside and out.

I honestly didn't recognise her.
Loving the idea of a ballgown with pockets though.

I didn’t recognise her either but I am face blind and it’s often hair style/colour etc that I use fir recognition and her hair does look very different. I add my birthday wishes. She does look beautiful.

I really don't think a professional photographer of the calibre the royals choose to use would then have to photoshop them for goodness sake!
have a look back at photos of princess ann as young lady, and even one of the queen and princess margaret you would hardly recognise them.

They are beautiful photos and she is a shining star in the Royal Family. Both she and William make me proud to be British.
I really hope they are not photoshopped but I suspect all photos are now, at least to tidy them up and remove spots, wrinkles and minor flaws. I hope no more than that. Lighting plays a crucial role in photography, get that right and you have a stunning photo.

Beautiful professional photographs of an extremely photogenic Duchess.

I wouldn't have recognised her. Lovely photos but she looks so different from every photo I've ever seen of her, even her hair's different and not in a good way IMO. She's so beautiful, surely photoshopping is unnecessary.

She's stunning, isn't she. And seems so nice with it.
What an asset to the monarchy. Happy Birthday, Duchess.

Until I read the other posts I hadn’t a clue who she was.

Photoshopped maybe? I prefer her looking natural as she usually does, but she was lovely in that gold dress that she wore recently.

Looks a bit too ‘Hollywood’ for me.

Great photographs but photoshopped. I much prefer the photographs that catch her looking happy, confident and enjoying herself communicating with people, especially childrrn

Wish one of the photos had her with an ‘updo’ hairstyle, as opposed to long, flowing locks in all of them.

Think she looks so elegant and regal with her hair like that.

I thought Catherine looked different as well. I think she has matured into a beautiful woman and is so much more confident and at ease in her role. William & Catherine make a good team.

yes, beautiful professional photos..........

I agree - she does look slightly different, facially. She is a truly beautiful woman, nonetheless, very elegant and poised. Gorgeous photos. A real asset to the Royals - she conducts herself so well and has blended into the Royal family wonderfully well. She never puts a foot wrong or causes any controversy. Happy Birthday Catherine.

I wouldn’t have know it was her - looks like a completely different person to me.

Happy Birthday to Catherine. ?
She is poised, elegant and has beauty shining from her.
Can she really be 40? it seems just a short while ago she was at University with Prince William …… ?

Beautiful photos, but I wouldn’t have recognised her.

Wish I'd looked like that at 40. Beautiful.

As she matures, I can see her resembling her mother more and more.