Kate Middleton and Prince William made a thoughtful change when it came to their recent royal portrait.
Keeping with a new tradition, the Prince and Princess of Wales posed for a portrait ahead of the March 18 state banquet in honor of Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his wife, first lady Oluremi Tinubu.
Not only did Princess Kate, 44, continue her practice of flag dressing for the occasion—wearing an emerald dress by Andrew Gn, a nod to the color of the Nigerian flag — she and Prince William, 43, were also photographed for the first time by British-Nigerian photographer Christianah Ebenezer.
“It was a true honor to collaborate on this piece,” said Ebenezer, who was born in Lagos and moved to London as a child, in a statement released by Kensington Palace.
“Blending our shared creativity with elements of classic portraiture and nature, the team worked seamlessly to capture this moment ahead of the Nigerian state banquet — something I’m deeply humbled to have seen come together so beautifully,” she added.
The Prince and Princess of Wales aren’t the first members of the royal family to collaborate with Ebenezer, however.
In January 2025, the photographer shared a pair of portraits she took of Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh, for her 60th birthday.
“After admiring two portraits I photographed of Letitia Wright & Michaela Coel at the National Portrait Gallery, The Duchess wanted to collaborate and be captured in a different light for this new chapter of life,” Ebenezer wrote of how the collaboration came about. “We had a very relaxed day taking these at her home – her and the team created a very welcoming atmosphere. My favourite part was definitely working together on outfit choices✨.”
READ: Prince William Left Surprised by Kind Words During Royal Visit
Elsewhere during the Nigerian state visit, the first in 37 years, Princess Kate highlighted the work of another British-Nigerian creative. To welcome the president and first lady to Windsor, the royal wore a gray coat dress with white accents by Tolu Coker. It was a fashion first for Kate, who had never publicly worn a dress with a cinched, corset-style back before.
The look may have been inspired by her father-in-law, King Charles, who sat front row at Coker’s London Fashion Week Show on Feb. 19.
The royal family also took care while arranging the schedule for the Tinubus’ visit, which took place during Ramadan. As the president is Muslim and fasts during the day for the month-long holiday, he and King Charles skipped the traditional tea after the royal welcome at Windsor and instead met privately.
Ahead of the state banquet later that day, President Tinubu and members of his delegation staying at the palace were offered an iftar meal to break their fast and a place to pray. The president was also given juice for the banquet’s customary toast, and the signature cocktail for the evening was non-alcoholic.
The visit also included a special opportunity for the first lady, who was invited to deliver a sermon at Lambeth Palace, the historic seat of the Archbishop of Canterbury. Notably, she became one of the first visiting preachers welcomed by the first female Archbishop, Dame Sarah Mullally, who was confirmed on Jan. 28.
“We have to learn to listen to each other and try to get the good out of everyone, irrespective of who we are or who we worship,” the first lady said in her remarks.
English