kate hold still© Photo: Getty Images

Why today is special for Kate Middleton 

The Duchess of Cambridge has a keen eye for photography

Online Royal CorrespondentLondon
June 18, 2020

The Duchess of Cambridge launched the Hold Still community photography project in May with the National Portrait Gallery and Thursday 18 June is a very important day for Kate, as that's the final date for people's entries.  

Hold Still aims to capture the spirit, the mood, the hopes, the fears and the feelings of the nation during the coronavirus pandemic. The project focuses on three core themes – Helpers and Heroes, Your New Normal and Acts of Kindness.

READ: Kate Middleton to join school children at morning school assembly - watch sweet video

In a clip released on Kensington Palace's social media accounts on Wednesday, the Duchess urged members of the public to pick up a camera or their phone to take part in the project. She said: "There have been so many amazing entries to Hold Still over the last few weeks, but it isn't too late to take part, so please take a moment to capture what life is like for you. I can't wait to share the final one hundred images with you."

Members of the public can submit their own photographs until 6pm on Thursday 18 June via the following link: npg.org.uk/hold-still. One hundred shortlisted portraits will then be selected to feature in a gallery without walls – a one of a kind digital exhibition open to all, hosted by the National Portrait Gallery.

Over the past few weeks, Kate has been sharing some of her favourite photographs on Instagram and has even had the support of one of her royal in-laws, the Countess of Wessex, who submitted her own camera phone image showing a fellow volunteer smiling as he organises food deliveries for NHS workers at a Surrey mosque.

MORE: Inside Kate Middleton's stunning lockdown wardrobe - every gorgeous outfit she's worn

© The Duchess of Cambridge

Kate takes the official birthday portraits of her children 

The Duchess, who studied art history at the University of St Andrews, has been taking the official birthday portraits of her children since Princess Charlotte's birth in 2015. She captured Prince Louis getting messy with some rainbow coloured paint for his second birthday on 23 April and shared photos of Charlotte during some voluntary work in Sandringham, to mark her fifth birthday on 2 May. The Cambridges' eldest son, Prince George, is set to turn seven on 22 July.

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