Kate Middleton is every inch the royal in her 40th birthday photos

Kate Middleton, Duchess of Cambridge, has turned 40 on January 9.

Marking her special day, Kensington Palace released three special new portraits of the royal and she's looking absolutely breathtaking.

The photos are taken by acclaimed photographer Paolo Roversi, showing Middleton in an all-new look.

''Delighted to share a new portrait of The Duchess ahead of her 40th birthday tomorrow. This is one of three new portraits which will enter the permanent collection of the @NPGLondon, of which The Duchess is Patron. 📸 Paolo Roversi'', they captioned the photos.

In one black and white photo, Kate looks every inch of a royal as she poses in a white chiffon gown and is beautifully showing off her diamond and pearl drop earrings, which belonged to Princess Diana and is also wearing her iconic sapphire engagement ring, which also belonged to her late mother-in-law. The Duchess and Paolo were inspired by 19th-century photography, which was the focus of Kate's graduate thesis.

In the second picture, she's wearing a stunning Alexander McQueen off-the-shoulder dress, smiling directly into the camera. For this photo, her earrings come from the collection of Queen Elizabeth.

In the third one, she's simply smiling and is wearing a white one-shoulder dress with her hair kept all over her shoulders.

The portrait, which was taken in November at the Royal Botanic Kew Gardens, will enter the permanent collection of the National Portrait Gallery, of which Kate is Patron.

The gallery is set to re-open in 2023 and the photos will be featured as part of its Coming Home project, a nationwide initiative that sees portraits of well-known individuals being sent to places where they are closely associated with.