Queen 'inspired' by results of Kate's photographic lockdown project
People of all ages across the UK were invited to submit a photo which they had taken during lockdown.
Rhiannon Mills
Royal correspondent @SkyRhiannon
Monday 14 September 2020 06:28, UK
Image: Thank You taken by Wendy Huson
The Queen has said she was "inspired" to see "the resilience of the British people" shown through a photographic lockdown project led by the Duchess of Cambridge.
Kate came up with the idea of "Hold Still", a project she hoped would capture the country's experiences of COVID-19 through photographs.
Launched in May, in partnership with the National Portrait Gallery, they received over 31,000 images in six weeks. Kate and a panel of judges then selected 100 photographs that have now gone on display in a digital online gallery.
Image: Holding Tight by Katy Rudd and Joe Wyer
Image: Sami by Grey Hutton
In a message to launch the gallery, the Queen said: "It was with great pleasure that I had the opportunity to look through a number of the portraits that made the final 100 images for the Hold Still photography project.
"The Duchess of Cambridge and I were inspired to see how the photographs have captured the resilience of the British people at such a challenging time, whether that is through celebrating frontline workers, recognising community spirit or showing the efforts of individuals supporting those in need."
Image: Everyday Hero - Richard by Arnhel de Serra celebrates the work of a Royal Mail worker
Image: The Duchess of Cambridge joined a panel of judges to select 100 images from more than 31,000 entries
Among the six images that Kate shared with the Queen were The Look Of Lockdown by Carlotta Cutrupi, which evokes feelings of isolation, Everyday Hero - Richard by Arnhel de Serra, which celebrates the work of a Royal Mail worker showing him wearing fancy dress on his round, and Thank You taken by Wendy Huson, showing her daughter Amelia, who has Down's Syndrome wearing a nurse outfit to celebrate International Nurses Day.
Hold Still focuses on three themes that capture and document how the UK has dealt with the pandemic, including helpers and heroes, your "new normal" and acts of kindness. The final 100 images tackle subjects including family life in lockdown, the work of healthcare staff and the Black Lives Matter movement.
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The judges on the panel included England's chief nursing officer Ruth May, director of the National Portrait Gallery Nicholas Cullinan, writer and poet Lemn Sissay and photographer Maryam Wahid. Each image was chosen based on the emotions and experiences they conveyed, rather than their photographic quality or technical expertise.
Image: The Look Of Lockdown by Carlotta Cutrupi
Image: Never Without Her Grandma by Melanie Lowis
Kate previously said she had been "so overwhelmed by the public's response to Hold Still, the quality of the images has been extraordinary, and the poignancy and the stories behind the images have been equally as moving as well".
A selection of the photographs will be shown in towns and cities across the UK later in the year. The digital exhibition can be viewed at npg.org.uk/holdstill