![The Duke and Duchess Of Cambridge Visit India and Bhutan - Day 7 Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge pose in front of the Taj Mahal on April 16, 2016 in Agra, India.](https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/duchess-kate-middleton-vogue-british.jpg?quality=85&w=2400)
British Vogue is celebrating its 100-year anniversary with one of the biggest fashion icons in Britain: Kate Middleton (who is also known as Her Royal Highness or HRH).
The Kensington Palace announced that the cover, which will hit newsstands Thursday, was a collaboration between British Vogue and London’s National Portrait Gallery. “The Duchess is incredibly grateful to the team for asking her to take part,” a spokesperson said. “British Vogue has given a platform to some of the most renowned photographers in this country’s history.”
London-born photographer Josh Olins shot the photos of The Duchess in the Norfolk countryside:
This marks the first time HRH has ever willingly taken portraits for a magazine. “She is on magazine covers all of the time,” wrote Vogue. “But before British Vogue, she’d never actually consented to one.”
Vogue.com contributing editor Michelle Ruiz predicts that this cover might be a symbol of HRH claiming her title as First Lady of Britain, “a position one could argue that a beloved royal woman hasn’t truly held since Princess Diana’s death.” Princess Diana has appeared on the cover of British Vogue four times (you can view them at vogue.co.uk).
“It may be wishful thinking, but I suspect Princess Kate’s first fashion shoot won’t be the last ‘first’ in this new chapter of her public life,” Ruiz wrote.
More Must-Reads from TIME
- Welcome to the Noah Lyles Olympics
- Melinda French Gates Is Going It Alone
- What to Do if You Can’t Afford Your Medications
- How to Buy Groceries Without Breaking the Bank
- Sienna Miller Is the Reason to Watch Horizon
- Why So Many Bitcoin Mining Companies Are Pivoting to AI
- The 15 Best Movies to Watch on a Plane
- Want Weekly Recs on What to Watch, Read, and More? Sign Up for Worth Your Time
Contact us at letters@time.com