Camilla commissioned Kate to take the picture after she was asked to guest edit the latest edition of the publication to mark her 75th birthday earlier this month as well as the magazine's 125th anniversary.

Kate, who is a keen amateur photographer, regularly releases pictures she has taken of her children to mark their birthdays and is patron of the Royal Photographic Society.

The duchess was pictured wearing a blue and white floral dress and cardigan.

She can be seen sitting on a bench with a trug filled with pelargoniums, ready to be planted.

Another picture by Kate appears on the leader page and shows Camilla walking through forget-me-nots at her country home.

Mark Hedges, editor-in-chief of Country Life magazine, said: "We are thrilled to have our guest editor captured so magnificently by royal photographer the Duchess of Cambridge.

"We understand this is the first time a formal portrait of the Duchess of Cornwall has been taken by the Duchess of Cambridge for a magazine and we are honoured to have been chosen to be the first to publish this beautiful photograph.

"The photographs are superb and we would be delighted to offer the Duchess of Cambridge another commission!"

The duchess had invited Kate to take a series of portraits in the gardens of Ray Mill House, Camilla's retreat in Lacock in Wiltshire.

Camilla is the fourth royal guest editor, following Prince Charles, who has twice led the magazine - first to mark his 65th birthday in November 2013 and then his 70th in 2018, which became the biggest selling issue of all time.

In 2020 the Princess Royal led the 29 July issue to commemorate her 70th birthday.

The edition of Country Life edited by Camilla will be published on Wednesday.