LONDON.- British Vogue and the National Portrait Gallery have collaborated on a very special series of photographic portraits with HRH The Duchess of Cambridge. Two of the images have been displayed in the current Vogue 100: A Century of Style exhibition at the Gallery, and a portfolio of seven photographs including the cover and an accompanying article will appear in the centenary June issue of Vogue. British photographer Josh Olins who works frequently with the magazine was chosen for this landmark shoot. His work is known for its quiet elegance, the character he captures from his sitters and a degree of relaxed understatement.

The Duchess has been Patron of the National Portrait Gallery since 2012, one of the first patronages taken on after her marriage to Prince William, recognising her interest in photography and portraiture.

Shot in the Norfolk countryside and styled by Vogue Fashion Director Lucinda Chambers, the series of images capture The Duchess in casual clothes rather than adopting a more formal approach. This centenary June issue cover and series of portraits adds to Vogue’s record of royal portraiture with the work of Cecil Beaton, Norman Parkinson, Lord Snowdon, Patrick Demarchelier and Mario Testino.

Alexandra Shulman, Editor-in-Chief of British Vogue commented, “To be able to publish a photographic shoot with HRH The Duchess of Cambridge has been one of my greatest ambitions for the magazine. I’m delighted the Duchess agreed to work with us and the National Portrait Gallery, and as a result of this unique collaboration we have a true celebration of our centenary as well as a fitting tribute to a young woman whose interest in both photography and the countryside is well known.”

Nicholas Cullinan, Director of the National Portrait Gallery, added “Josh has captured The Duchess exactly as she is – full of life, with a great sense of humour, thoughtful and intelligent, and in fact, very beautiful. Not only do they reflect her love of the countryside, interest in photography and championing of the National Portrait Gallery as our very committed Patron, but they also encapsulate what Vogue has always done so brilliantly – to pair the best photographers with the great personalities of the day, in order to reflect broader shifts in culture and society. We had fun in making and choosing these images, and I hope that comes across.”

A spokesperson for The Duchess of Cambridge said: "Since 1916, Vogue has been a leading champion of British portraiture. The Duchess was delighted to play a part in celebrating the centenary of an institution that has given a platform to some of the most renowned photographers in this country's history. She is incredibly grateful to the team at Vogue and at the National Portrait Gallery for asking her to take part. She would like to thank Josh Olins for being such a pleasure to work with. The Duchess had never taken part in a photography shoot like this before. She hopes that people appreciate the portraits with the sense of relaxed fun with which they were taken."

Josh Olins added “It’s a privilege to have been chosen to photograph HRH The Duchess of Cambridge for the Centenary issue of British Vogue and an honour that two of those portraits will hang in the National Portrait Gallery in London. This was the Duchess’s first sitting for a magazine and she was a joy to work with, a natural. I am incredibly grateful to Alexandra Shulman for placing her faith in me for such an important and historic assignment.”

Two of the portraits of HRH The Duchess of Cambridge shot by Josh Olins will be available for public view in Vogue 100: A Century of Style at the National Portrait Gallery from Sunday 1st May. The full shoot and article in the June centenary issue of Vogue will be on newsstand nationwide and available to download from Thursday 5th May.