Danielle Stacey
The Duchess of Cambridge spoke to the finalists of her community photography project Hold Still ahead of the book launch on Friday
the Duchess of Cambridge spoke with the finalists about her Hold on community photography project, ahead of the book’s release on Friday.
In clips shared to Prince William and Kate’s new YouTube channelthe Duchess took part in an emotional phone call with Lynda Sneddon and her four-year-old daughter, Mila, whose photo was included in the project.
During the call recorded in fall 2020, Kate made a sweet promise to the little girl that she would wear a pink dress when they could meet.
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The family made the difficult decision to isolate themselves from Mila’s father, Scott, and older sister, Jodi, to protect Mila, who was receiving chemotherapy for acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
the animated image that Lynda submitted showed Mila kissing the window as her father Scott stood outside.
The Duchess spoke to Mila, four,
During their phone conversation, Mila asked the Duchess, “Do you have a suit?”
Kate replied, “I’m not wearing a princess costume at the moment, I’m afraid Mila. Do you have a lot of fancy dress outfits yourself?”
Mila replied, “Yeah” and told the Duchess her favorite color was pink.
The Duchess replied: “OK well I have to make sure I go try and get myself a pink dress so hopefully one day hopefully Mila we can meet and then I remember to wear my pink dress for you. Would that be okay?”
A stunning new portrait of Kate was shared by Kensington Palace in March to coincide with the announcement of the Hold on delivered.
Taken by Matt Porteous in the garden of the Cambridges’ Norfolk home, Anmer Hall, it showed keen photographer Kate holding her trusty camera.
The portrait of the Duchess included in the Hold on delivered
The snap accompanies a foreword from the Duchess, who writes: “As we look back on the COVID-19 pandemic in the decades to come, we will think of the challenges we have all faced – the loved ones we have lost , the prolonged isolation from our families and friends and the strain on our key workers.
“But we will also remember the positives: the incredible acts of kindness, the helpers and heroes that emerged from all walks of life, and how together we adapted to a new normal.
“By Hold onI wanted to use the power of photography to create an enduring record of what we were all going through – to capture the stories of individuals and document the important moments for families and communities as we lived through the pandemic.”
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the Hold on book was made with the support of The Co-op, which helped run the community displays on billboards and outdoor display sites in 80 cities and regions last October. The final 100 images were first presented in a digital exhibition on the National Portrait Gallery website.
Net proceeds from the sale of the book will be shared between the leading mental health charity Spirit, and the National Portrait Gallery. The funds will help support arts and mental health projects across the UK, including Mind’s work in local communities and the National Portrait Gallery’s education and community projects.
Hold Still: A Portrait of Our Nation in 2020, £17.55, Amazon
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Hold on was launched in May 2020, when Kate invited people of all ages across the UK to submit a photo they had taken during lockdown, aiming to capture and document the spirit, mood, hopes, fears and feelings of the nation.
The royal mum-of-three appeared on This morning talk to presenters Holly Willoughby and Philip Schofield on the project with one of its patrons, the National Portrait Gallery.
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