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Kate Middleton is a cover girl! Well, sort of…

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At first glance, it might appear that Marie Claire snagged the very first fashion magazine cover of the Duchess of Cambridge, but take a closer look—Princess Kate has been photoshopped in!

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The South African arm of Marie Claire is responsible for the trippy August cover, explaining the move as a sort of "fan-art tribute" to the fashion icon.

"The cover is actually a hyper-real illustration of Kate," explained Editor Aspasia Karras to the Telegraph. "We were so inspired by her fairytale wedding and her life as a modern-day princess, which is why we elected Kate Middleton as our cover star for the August issue."

Sporting local designer Clive Rundle's duds, Middleton is poised to display the South African look with her animal print-covered ensemble which Karras says essentially ups the fantasy factor.

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"The cover is – much like her life," she adds. "More fantasy than reality."

What do you think? Is the cover cool or a little creepy?