Kate Middleton and Prince William’s newly shared royal portrait has fans making same point

The Prince and Princess of Wales blew royal fans away with a stunning new portrait of them decked out in white tie attire on Tuesday (8 July).

William and Kate were dressed up for a state banquet in honour of French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte, as they touched down in the UK for a three-day state visit.

And to mark the special occasion, they shared a very regal new picture of the couple sporting to their official Instagram account.

The caption read: “Ready for what promises to be a wonderful State Banquet this evening in Windsor.”

Kate looked sensational in a dark red, silk creponne gathered evening gown, which was embellished with caped back detailing and was designed for her by Sarah Burton of Givenchy.

She also sported the Rosette of Grand Officier l’ordre nationale du merité, the Royal Family Order of King Charles III, the Royal Family Order of Elizabeth II, the Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order and the GCVO sash.

Eagle-eyed fans noticed that the Princess donned a pair of earrings that previously belonged to the late Queen Elizabeth II and a tiara that belonged to Prince William’s late mother, Princess Diana.

The new royal portrait quickly racked up over 800,000 likes on the social media platform - and fans are all saying the same thing.

Many people have pointed out that it looks like Kate and William are preparing for the moment they take on their future roles as King and Queen.

One X (formerly Twitter) user excitedly penned: “This is the first portrait of them together in White Tie and Regalia and honours!!!!!! Omg omg omg.”

Another questioned: “Are they trying to tell us something? Like... they are the next King and Queen.”

A third chimed in with: “Is it my imagination or is Princess Catherine easing into the role of Queenly… before our very eyes?”

And someone else gushed: “This glorious couple will make a fine King & Queen. The UK is in good hands. God Bless. With respect & love from across the pond!”

Meanwhile, others added: “I cannot wait for William and Kate to be King and Queen” and “Wow! Princess Catherine in her Queen mode, so regal and elegant.”

And over in the Instagram comments, fans wrote: “Their Royal Highnesses!” and “So proud to have you both our future King & Queen.”

Others quipped: “Beautiful king and queen for the future” and “WOW! King & his QUEEN! Xx.”

Another social media user added: “Wow!! Our future King & Queen one day and what an incredible couple you are….you both look fabulous and are a credit to our country. Thank you for all that you do.”

Royal family fanatics were in for a treat, as on the same day, the Prince and Princess of Wales also shared an Instagram reel with the highlights of their day spent with Macron and Brigitte.

They wrote in the caption: “From discussions on our shared future to moments of reflection on historic ties, it was an honour to help strengthen the enduring partnership between France and the UK alongside Their Majesties and Président @emmanuelmacron today.”