Duke and Duchess of Cambridge urged to give modern art the royal seal While the Prince of Wales, himself a keen watercolourist, and the Queen prefer more traditional art styles, Tessa Murdoch, the curator of a new exhibition about Tudor and Stuart court art, believes the next generation should be bolder by "engaging with the contemporary." If they do, exhibitions of portraits of the Duke and Duchess will be held in 400 years time, just as visitors to London's Victoria and Albert Museum are about to look back on work commissioned by monarchs including Henry VIII and Elizabeth I, added Dr Murdoch. The Duchess, who left St Andrews University with a 2:1 in history of art, is already Patron of the National Portrait Gallery. She is also patron of The Art Room, a charity which helps to raise troubled children's self-esteem by encouraging them to produce art. Dr Murdoch said: "It seems to me that it would be really wonderful if there was increased contemporary royal patronage to encourage the really extraordinary talent that we have in this country. The younger members of the Royal family can achieve a great deal by example, such as demonstrating their interest in contemporary practitioners of art, craft and design. She said the Duke and Duchess's interest could have a far greater reach than just the artists whose work they commission. "Showing an interest in art and combining creativity and education is an incredibly positive contribution to society's culture," she said. A role they could play is demonstrating that creativity is not a luxury, it's at the centre of our being. The V&A's Treasures of the Royal Courts: Tudors, Stuarts and the Russian Tsars, which opens this weekend, includes furnishings, clothing, portraits and jewellery and shows the majesty of the royal courts of Henry VIII to Charles II and Ivan the Terrible to the early Romanovs.