A new portrait of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge has been released.

The royal couple had the opportunity to view the painting by award-winning British portrait artist Jamie Coreth as it went on public display on Thursday at the University of Cambridge’s Fitzwilliam Museum.

William said, after looking at the painting: “It’s quite big.”

He told Coreth it was “amazing”.

It is the first official joint portrait of the couple – and includes the use of a hexagonal architectural motif which can be seen on buildings across Cambridge.

During their visit, William and Kate met with Coreth, supporters of the project, and Lady Sibyl Marshall – the wife of the late Sir Michael Marshall, who originally proposed the idea for the portrait.

Coreth is described on his website as “one of Britain’s leading portrait artists” who “focuses on the character of his sitters, evoking a sense of their presence in his work”.

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He said it was the “most extraordinary privilege of my life to be chosen to paint this picture” and that he wanted the portrait “to evoke a feeling of balance between their public and private lives”.

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

Members of the public will be able to view the portrait at the Fitzwilliam Museum for an initial period of three years.

The artwork will then be exhibited in other community spaces and galleries around Cambridgeshire.

Whilst on display, it will be used as a means of encouraging children and young people of all backgrounds from across the county to take an interest in art in all its forms.

The duke and duchess both studied history of art at St Andrews University, though William later switched to geography.

He said in a Big Issue Q&A session published this week to mark his 40th birthday: “I studied a bit of art history at university.

“Had to give it up.

“I kept falling asleep in the lectures. Terrible.

“We did a lot of Renaissance, which was amazing.

“But then once we got into modern art, I started to get a bit dozy.”

The painting will also be loaned to the National Portrait Gallery for a short time in 2023 to mark the gallery’s reopening.

It was commissioned last year by the Cambridgeshire Royal Portrait Fund, held by the Cambridge Community Foundation, as a gift to Cambridgeshire.

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