Kate Middleton has sent personal messages to a number of amateur photographers who shared their images of life during lockdown for her Hold Still campaign.
Earlier this month the Duchess of Cambridge, 38, joined forces with the National Portrait Gallery to launch the project, which is designed to capture the ‘spirit, mood, hopes and fears’ of the nation through the medium of photography.
Over the course of the competition, the Kensington Palace Instagram account has been spotted liking and commenting on several of the photos, with the Duchess signing off with the letter ‘C’.
The Duchess of Cambridge has been sending personal messages to amateur photographers who shared images of their life during lockdown. She is pictured being interviewed by ITV’s This Morning about the launch of Hold Still
Nurse Farrah Tanalgo shared a picture of herself and a colleague during a shift at Lister Hospital. Kate replied: ‘Thank you for sharing this great image’
Mother Esme shared a picture of her daughter Flo after painting a rainbow in support of the NHS. The Duchess commented: ‘Thank you so much for taking part in the Hold Still project,’ signed ‘C’
The images vary in subject, with some NHS workers sharing images of themselves during hospital shifts, while others posted lighthearted snaps of themselves spending time with their children during lockdown.
Mother-of-three Kate Ainger, a lawyer from Gloucestershire, shared an image of her giving a man – presumably her partner – a haircut, taken by four-year-old Coni on her phone.
In response, Kate wrote: ‘Love this! What a budding photographer! Please don’t forget to submit your photo in the link bio if you haven’t done so already. C.’
Anna Mehta, from Yorkshire, shared a picture of her son blowing on a dandelion after a family bike ride, writing: ‘The tonic to what is happening in the outside world are our family walks.’
Mother-of-three Kate Ainger, a lawyer from Gloucestershire, shared an image of her giving a man a hair cut taken by four-year-old Coni on her phone. Kate gushed: ‘I love this! What a budding photographer!’
Sapna Odlin, from Reading, shared an image of her neighbour Christine, a nurse sitting on her front doorstep before her shift at a local hospital. Kate responded by thanking her for sharing her story and for the ‘amazing work’ Christine is doing
Zoe Norfolk, of Muswell Hill, London, shared an image of her neighbour Ben from his allotment window. Kate wrote back that she too gets ‘so much joy from being outside and gardening’
After liking the post, Kate responded: ‘A perfect example of Hold Still… the chance to re-engage and value the simple things around us. C.’
Nurse Farrah Tanalgo shared a picture of her and a colleague during a shift at Lister Hospital, to which Kate replied: ‘Thank you for sharing this great image,’ signed ‘C’.
Sapna Odlin, from Reading, shared an image of her neighbour Christine, a nurse, sitting on her front doorstep before her shift at work.
Sharing Christine’s story, the caption read: ‘I wanted to wear my work scrubs for this photo because right now being a nurse feels such a strong part of my identity. For many the current lockdown means staying safe and staying at home.
Anna Mehta, from Yorkshire, shared a picture of her son blowing on a dandelion after a family bike ride. Kate called it a ‘perfect example of Hold Still’
After Amy Claire Nimmo shared a beautiful image of her hugging a child on a windowsill, Kate wrote: ‘This is an amazing image, thank you for taking part’
‘For me lockdown means that I continue to work full time as a nurse in the NHS. Emotions and feelings cover the whole spectrum from anxiety, frustration, and exhaustion to feeling grateful, hopeful and finding joy in the small things.’
In response to the moving story, the Duchess wrote: ‘Thank you so much for sharing your story and for the amazing work you all continue to do at such a difficult time. C.’
After Amy Claire Nimmo shared a beautiful image of her hugging a child on a windowsill, Kate wrote: ‘This is an amazing image, thank you for taking part.’
The Duchess will personally curate 100 photographs for the Hold Still exhibition. She is pictured as she takes part in a a photography workshop with the charity ‘Action for Children’ in London last year
Zoe Norfolk, of Muswell Hill, London, shared an image of her neighbour Ben from his allotment window, promoting the Duchess to write: ‘I get so much joy from being outside and gardening too.’
The Duchess will personally curate 100 photographs for the Hold Still exhibition.
Kate – who spearheaded the campaign in her role as patron of the National Portrait Gallery and is a keen amateur photographer herself – aims to capture a snapshot of the UK at this time, with the help of the nation.
Both Kate and Prince William, 37, have continued to support charities and organisations close to their hearts despite the UK’s lockdown amid the coronavirus pandemic. Pictured: Kate earlier this month during a Zoom call to mark the UK’s Maternal Mental Health Awareness Week
She said last month she had been ‘struck’ by the many ‘incredible’ images seen already, ‘which have given us an insight into the experiences and stories of people – some desperately sad images showing the human tragedy of this pandemic’.
People from across the UK are invited to submit a photographic portrait which they have taken during these extraordinary times for the community project.
Participants are also encouraged to provide a short written submission to outline the experiences and emotions of those depicted in their photograph.
Hold Still is completely free, open to all ages and abilities, and will focus on three core themes – ‘Helpers and Heroes’, ‘Your New Normal’ and ‘Acts of Kindness’.