National Portrait Gallery reopens after three years

The Princess of Wales met Sir Paul McCartney and Tracey Emin to mark the National Portrait Gallery's reopening after a £41m facelift.

Emin has designed new doors for the central London gallery depicting 45 hand-drawn female portraits which have been cast in bronze.

A collection of Sir Paul's personal photographs taken between 1963 and 1964 is due to go on show in the gallery on 28 June.

The gallery will be opening to the public later this week.

Emin said: "When I arrived, I was anxious.

"There was all these other things that were on my mind, and I totally forgot about the doors!

"So when I came up, I gasped - it was a big surprise and that lifted my energy."

Sir Paul and his wife Nancy Shevell met the princess to discuss his upcoming exhibition.

Kate waved to crowds gathered outside the gallery as she departed.

Nicholas Cullinan, director of the gallery, said the princess was "fantastic" and "really passionate".

He added: "To have a senior member of the Royal Family that really cares about culture, museums, art and is knowledgeable and supportive is such a great thing for this country."

Opened in 1856, the National Portrait Gallery moved to its current location off Trafalgar Square 40 years later. It houses over 11,000 portraits of historically famous and important British people in its Primary Collection.

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