Duchess of Cambridge launches 'ambitious' new photography project

Kate Middleton has announced an "ambitious" new community photography project.

The Duchess of Cambridge has launched Hold Still, "to capture the spirit, the mood, the hopes, the fears and the feelings of the nation as we continue to deal with the coronavirus outbreak".

Speaking about the project, 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," the royal added.

The project is in conjunction with the National Portrait Gallery, which the Duchess is Patron of.

The Duchess will also appear on morning television in the UK in a few hours time, to speak about the initiative.

It aims to create "a collective portrait of lockdown which will reflect resilience and bravery, humour and sadness, creativity and kindness, and human tragedy and hope."

It invites people from all over the UK to submit images across three "key themes": Helpers and Heroes, Your New Normal, Acts of Kindness.

Kate is a keen photographer herself, has taken part in her own exhibition and even run photography workshops with her charities.

The Duchess is also often the person behind the lens for the images released to mark the Cambridge kids' birthdays.

Most recently, the mother-of-three was praised for capturing stunning shots of a cheeky Prince Louis painting ahead of his second birthday.

And earlier this week, we saw Kate's striking images of Princess Charlotte handing out food parcels, to mark her fifth birthday.