Prince William and Kate Middleton by Mario Testino

Two new official pictures of Prince William and his fiancee Kate Middleton, taken by photographer Mario Testino, were released Sunday in advance of their intended marriage on April 29.

Formal portraits present a picture of the couple while the second, more relaxed, seems to capture a moment of intimacy between the couple.

The photographs were taken on November 25, nine days after the announcement of the engagement of small-son of the Queen of England, second in the order of succession to the throne of England, Kate Middleton, his girlfriend for eight years.

"I am delighted to be asked to cover this historic moment awaited by the world," said the Peruvian-born photographer, author of the most striking photographs of Princess Diana, mother of William. Mario Testino has also made many portraits of Prince William, his brother Harry and their father the Prince of Wales.


"They are in the prime of life and radiating happiness. I have never felt as much joy in seeing them together, "he said.

In the first photo, William and Kate pose standing next to one another in a piece of the St James Palace in London. Kate's left arm rests on that of her fiance, highlighting the engagement ring that belonged to Diana.

Kate is wearing a white dress in Reiss, while William is in a dark suit, blue tie and white shirt of the prestigious Turnbull and Asser shirt UK.

The second photo, her arms around William Kate puts her hand on his chest while their heads are together, both smiling broadly. The bride wears a white blouse and William a shirt collar open and a brown sweater.

"Prince William has worked with Mario Testino on many occasions before, so the couple decided that he was the right choice for a portrait as important," said a spokesman from the residence of Prince William.