A NEW waxwork of Princess Kate has been unveiled – and it’s already causing a storm of controversy.

The Panoptikum museum in Hamburg, Germany, this week revealed its likeness to the royal which will appear alongside other celebs including Ed Sheeran and Taylor Swift.

Artist Lisa Büscher and her team have been working on the piece since the summer, and it sees Kate dressed in a dark green dress designed by Jenny Packham.

Ms Büscher said of the new Kate waxwork: “We not only modelled the outfit but also the character’s makeup on a public appearance, while keeping it royally understated.

“Of course, Kate’s signature eyeliner couldn’t be missing – complemented by light smoky eyes.”

The team used hundreds of photos of the Princess – with the teeth having proven trickiest, taking 30 hours to perfect, added Ms Büscher.

However, some fans have been left scratching their heads, with the likeness not quite an exact replica.

One wrote on X: “Ewwwww.”

Meanwhile, French magazine Paris Match described the waxwork as having a “somewhat haphazard resemblance”.

Another person on Facebook compared the statue’s teeth to those of cartoon character Spongebob Squarepants.

While someone who had visited the museum said: “We were disappointed and partly horrified.”

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Another commenter said: “I don’t see much similarity.”

It’s not the first time the museum has unveiled a dodgy waxwork either – with previous controversies including a balding Queen Elizabeth II.

Following the unveiling of the late monarch’s likeness in 2022, museum managing partner Dr Susanne Faerber told the Daily Mail she didn’t see an issue.

Referring to half of the Queen’s wig being missing, she said the makers “just install the amount of hair visible for the visitors”.

She added: “As we are using real human hair for our waxworks which is very expensive, some figures which have hats don’t have complete hair.

“It is a waxwork, not the real person, this should always be kept in mind.”

Ms Faerber said it must be kept in mind that the Queen’s position in Germany is “different” to the UK “where the press have to be more sensitive dealing with them”.

Last year, meanwhile, a waxwork of pop star Taylor Swift was branded “horrid” and “a mess” by Swifties, reports Metro.

It was unveiled in honour of the US musician’s Eras Tour success – but fans compared it unflatteringly to Nanny McPhee.

One person joked on social media: “They did her so wrong LMFAOOO.”

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The museum boasts over 120 famous figures – with Kate and Queen Elizabeth rubbing shoulders with the likes of musician Ed Sheeran in the British triangle area.

Sheeran was again the handiwork of Ms Büscher who admitted it was another “challenging” project, with the job of recreating Sheeran’s tattoos particularly difficult, reports The Mirror.

The artist admitted she had concerns about the Sheeran statue melting in transit due to the soaring temperatures at the time he was completed.

The man himself, however, was less flattering, posting a snap on Instagram with the caption “creepy af”.

A fan added: “That’s Jed Sheeran” and another said “Ed Sheeran from Temu”.

The museum’s waxwork of former POTUS Barack Obama, unveiled in 2010, was also labelled “comically bad”.

The Panoptikum – which first opened in 1879 – is also home to waxworks of US President Donald Trump, Pope Benedict XVI, climate activist Greta Thunberg, singers Adele and Robbie Williams and Hollywood actress Angelina Jolie.