https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-8295995/Duchess-Cambridgeappears-Morning-joining-forces-National-Portrait-Gallery.htmlRoyal rivalry! Kate Middleton reveals Prince George is 'jealous' of Princess Charlotte's lockdown schoolwork because it's more fun as she tells This Morning that she and Prince William are in daily contact with family members
- The Duchess of Cambridge has appeared on ITV's This Morning today to discuss her new project with the National Portrait Gallery and gave a glimpse at how George and Charlotte are coping with homeschooling
- Recycled the same £495 Raey dress she wore during last night's appearance during her live appearance
- Said George preferred Charlotte's homework and to make 'spider sandwiches' and said they FaceTime the rest of the family every day. Also joked about her appearance after the Louis photoshoot with paint
- Shared her key photography tip which was 'not to set anything up too much and to capture the moment'
- Hold Still is a community photography project, launched today, to paint a picture of the nation during Covid-19
- Duchess of Cambridge, 38, is spearheading the project in her role as patron of The National Portrait Gallery
- People across the UK invited to submit photographic portrait they have taken during these extraordinary times
- The project will focus on three core themes 'Helpers and Heroes', 'Your New Normal' and 'Acts of Kindness'
- Here’s how to help people impacted by Covid-19
By Jessica Rach For Mailonline
Published: 12:20, 7 May 2020 | Updated: 17:05, 7 May 2020
The Duchess of Cambridge has appeared on ITV's This Morning today to discuss her new project with the National Portrait Gallery and gave a glimpse at how George and Charlotte are coping with homeschooling. Kate Middleton, 38, who has selected some of her favourite photographs that best capture the 'resilience, bravery and kindness' of Britons caught in the coronavirus crisis for the new project 'Hold Still, joked that Prince George, 6, was 'jealous' of his five-year-old sister Princess Charlotte's homework and 'would rather make spider sandwiches'.
Appearing live via video link in the same £495 yellow, silk Raey dress she wore during last night's appearance from Amner Hall, she spoke to Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield about the inspiration behind the project, and shared some of her own photography tips - including the importance of 'capturing the moment' and not 'making it too set up'.
The royal, sporting her trademark blowdry, also joked that she was glad there were no pictures of how she ended up, after taking the pictures of Prince Louis covered in paint for his birthday portrait, and revealed they FaceTime family members 'every day'. Speaking to Holly on how she is coping in these strangest of times, the Duchess responded: 'Fine, thank you. It's extraordinary. I'm sure you're experiencing the same yourselves and your families and things. We've stuck into homeschooling again. They're unprecedented times really. But no we're fine, thank you for asking.'
And talking about homeschooling, Kate revealed: 'George gets very upset because he just wants to do all of Charlotte's projects. Spider sandwiches are far cooler than literacy work'.
Addressing the inspiration behind her project, she said: 'We've all seen incredible images and seen uplifting and sad stories, I really hope this project can showcase and document this moment in time that we're all experiencing. We've all been struck by the most amazing images that have come out that we're going through desperately sad times. Those working on the front line are going through tragedy and hardships, it's all those in the community and front line showing their amazing dedication.'
She added an image of a nurse marked by a PPE mask: 'It's a really harrowing image, they're the things that not everyone at home will witness, so it's important to see what those on the front line are experiencing'.
Addressing the inspiration behind her project, she said: 'We've all seen incredible images and seen uplifting and sad stories, I really hope this project can showcase and document this moment in time that we're all experiencing. We've all been struck by the most amazing images that have come out that we're going through desperately sad times. Those working on the front line are going through tragedy and hardships, it's all those in the community and front line showing their amazing dedication.'
She added an image of a nurse marked by a PPE mask: 'It's a really harrowing image, they're the things that not everyone at home will witness, so it's important to see what those on the front line are experiencing'. Anyone can enter, schools can take this on as projects, life has changed for everyone and I think it's important to tell the human side of this, being able to showcase portraits and collate a portrait of the nation on a human level is great.'
Talking about her photography tips she added: 'I'm very much an amateur photographer but I take a lot of time now to pick up my camera and take pictures of the kids. It's about not setting it up perfectly or clearing your home for the studio set up, but it's capturing that moment, feeling or expression to tell that story.'
She went on to joke of Louis's birthday portrait: 'I should've taken a photograph of what I looked like after taking that picture of Louis, luckily that wasn't documented. Charlotte's pictures told our story and hopefully, others will do the same. I felt so lucky to be part of the Auschwitz project was such an honour. It's about taking time to reflect and tell the story for this period in time.'
Kate has joined forces with the National Portrait Gallery to launch a community photography project designed to catch the 'spirit, mood, hopes, and fears' of the nation. The project, titled Hold Still, showcases the lives of those who have put everything on hold to help protect our NHS and the reality of everyday life on the frontline for our helpers and heroes. Kate, who spearheaded the campaign, is a patron of the National Portrait Gallery and a keen amateur photographer, aims to capture a snapshot of the UK at this time, with the help of the nation. The Duchess will personally curate 100 photographs for the Hold Still exhibition. She said 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'.
Others, she said, had been more 'uplifting'. Among her favourites are a five-year-old girl called Eaddee who wears a painted rainbow face for the NHS, 79-year-old Jack Dodsley dancing with a health worker at Newfield Nursing Home in Sheffield, grandparents greeting their grandchildren from the other side of a window, and Nottingham ICU nurse Aimee Goold. The community photography project comes after the UK became the first country in Europe to record 30,000 deaths from the coronavirus yesterday, announcing 649 more victims. Now at a total of 30,076 dead because of the COVID-19 outbreak, the UK has hit the grim milestone before either Spain or Italy, which were widely considered to have the worst outbreaks in Europe. Only the US has recorded more fatalities, with 72,000. 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 photographs. 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'. The idea is to create a unique photographic portrait of the people of our nation in lockdown as we 'hold still' for the good of others, and celebrate those who have continued so we can stay safe. It will reflect resilience and bravery, humour and sadness, creativity and kindness, and human tragedy and hope. Hold Still will also act as a reminder of the significance of human connection in times of adversity, and that although we were physically apart, as a community and nation, we all faced and rose to the challenge together. For her interview today, Kate wore a stunning yellow bracelet-sleeve silk dress by British brand Raey, featuring a pink and green tree print. The dress is currently on sale on Matches Fashion for £148, reduced from £495. Kate wore her brunette locks in loose waves around her shoulders and opted for her signature natural make-up, with brown eyeshadow and a nude lip. On the launch of Hold Still, The Duchess said: 'We've all been struck by some of the incredible images we've seen which have given us an insight into the experiences and stories of people across the country. Some desperately sad images showing the human tragedy of this pandemic and other uplifting pictures showing people coming together to support those more vulnerable. Hold Still aims to capture a portrait of the nation, the spirit of the nation, what everyone is going through at this time. Photographs reflecting resilience, bravery, kindness all those things that people are experiencing.'
Submissions for Hold Still can be made from today (May 7) via
www.npg.org.uk. The closing date will be June 18, 2020. One hundred shortlisted portraits will then feature in a gallery without walls a one of a kind digital exhibition open to all. A selection of images will also be shown across the UK later in the year. The images can be captured on phones or cameras, and each image will be assessed on the emotion and experience it conveys rather than its photographic quality or technical expertise. For 164 years, the National Portrait Gallery has existed to tell the stories of the people of Great Britain through the medium of portraits. In these unprecedented times, it is now more important than ever that we find ways to document and share our individual and collective stories of an experience that has impacted everybody's lives in a multitude of ways. Speaking about Hold Still, Nicholas Cullinan, director of the National Portrait Gallery London said: 'Even if we are alone, we can all create something together. We are honoured to partner with the Duchess of Cambridge on the Hold Still project, which will provide an inclusive perspective on, and an important historical record of, these unprecedented times, expressed through the faces of the nation. The National Portrait Gallery reflects the history of Britain through the personal stories of the people who have helped to shape it. We are now inviting each and every person, across every city, town, village, and home in the UK, to share their portraits with us in this unique collective endeavour.'
The Duchess of Cambridge has been Patron of the National Portrait Gallery since 2012 and has a lifetime honorary membership of the Royal Photographic Society. She has a longstanding interest in photography and its power to capture emotions and stories. In January, Kate took photographs of two Holocaust survivors with their grandchildren as part of the commemorations for the 75th anniversary of the end of the Holocaust. Kate invited Steven Frank, 84, and Yvonne Bernstein, 82 into the home that she shares with Prince William and her family in order to create the images which were inspired by Dutch artist Vermeer. One photography expert told MailOnline that it was clear Kate had been influenced by 'Vermeer's study of light'. The Duchess, who said their stories would 'stay with her forever', encouraged her subjects to hold 'deeply personal' items that reflected their time at Nazi camps. Kate is also renowned for capturing enchanting, natural shots of her children, Prince George, six, Princess Charlotte, five, and Prince Louis, two. To mark her youngest two children's birthdays recently, Kensington Palace released stunning pictures of Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, taken by their proud mother. 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. The royal couple has been using video calls to show their support, chatting about mental health, schools and the NHS, and clapping for the NHS every Thursday while isolating at Anmer Hall, their home in Norfolk. Last week the Duchess paid a 'morale-boosting' virtual visit to a maternity unit in Kingston where she previously spent two days on a work placement last week, gushing her congratulations to stunned new mother Rebecca Attwood. Rebecca, from Raynes Park in South-West London, said: 'Having a surprise conversation with the Duchess of Cambridge after two hours' sleep was particularly surreal.'
The Duchess and her love for the lens: How Kate Middleton's university studies led her to break Royal tradition and take her own family snaps
As the Duchess of Cambridge releases new photographs to mark Holocaust Memorial Day, it's evident that her passion for the lens has led her to create some stunning pieces. Kate Middleton has a clear love for photography and her first major project had been for her parents for their party planning business, Party Pieces in 2008 when she was commissioned to do some work for them. Kate studied art history at St Andrews which included modules such as Histories of Photography (1835 - 1905). She then went on to produce her thesis on photography of children. She then went on to break royal tradition, straying away from the favoured royal photographers and herself releasing snaps of her children, including pictures of Prince George before his first day in nursery. Since then she has gone on to share a host of photos of her children via the Kensington Palace Instagram page. It is also believed that she had taken her own photos for the Queen's 90th birthday celebrations.
