The Cambridges Visit Hold Still Community Exhibition Sites

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were out and about in London today to mark the launch of the Hold Still community exhibition.

In normal times, the incredible 100 photos would be enjoyed in a carefully curated exhibition inside the National Portrait Gallery. Alas, this year has been the antithesis of normal. It was decided the most effective and impactful way for the images to be shared was to quite literally do just that - sharing them in local communities across the UK for four weeks. In doing so, it reflects the spirit of the endeavour which saw entrants from Oban in Argyll, Scotland to Delabole in Cornwall participating to offer a glimpse into their life experiences during the pandemic.

When the chosen 100 images were revealed last month Kate said, "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 quality of the images has been extraordinary, and the poignancy and the stories behind the images have been equally as moving as well." The Duchess and her fellow judges were "overwhelmed" by the response to the project, which received 31,598 entries.

Their first port of call was Waterloo Station in South London where Hold Still features on billboards.

The National Portrait Gallery noted, "Curated groups of portraits are displayed in cities such as Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Manchester and London. Many of the portraits are also on display individually in the local communities where entrants are ranging from Belfast, Liverpool and Southampton to Blaenau Ffestiniog in Gwynedd, Marston Moretaine in Bedfordshire, Knypersley in Staffordshire Moorlands and Thorpe Audlin in West Yorkshire. You can also see a selection of works on special community screens in 1,600 Co-op food stores across the UK."

Nicholas Cullinan, Director of the National Portrait Gallery, said, "From the initial concept to where we are today with this national living exhibition, the Duchess has been phenomenal. She has been dedicated and thoughtful and what we have is a wonderful and moving snapshot of the compelling and varied experiences so many people have experienced throughout the country."

William and Kate viewed 'The Look of Lockdown'  by photographer Lotti Sofia, "A representation of our daily dose of daydreaming that we do while we watch the world go by without us."

The couple met a number of finalists at Waterloo Station. More from the Telegraph:

'The Duchess of Cambridge gave a community volunteer a “massive shock” when she called him out of the blue to reveal his portrait had been selected as a finalist in her Hold Still lockdown photography project, he has revealed.

Sami Massalami Mohammed Elmassalami Ayad, a Sudanese volunteer at a community Food Hub in Hackney, north London, met both the Duchess and the Duke of Cambridge at Waterloo station on Tuesday as they viewed several billboards showcasing the final 100 images chosen from more than 31,000 entries. 

He said: “It was such a joy to meet the Duke and Duchess and I can’t believe my picture made it to the final 100. I didn’t even know it was being submitted by my colleague at the food hub so it came as a massive shock when I got a call from the National Portrait Gallery saying the Duchess wanted to speak to me. 

“She called me a few weeks ago and we had such a lovely conversation. She told me how she wanted to build a snapshot of how Britain was coping in the pandemic, but to show all sides of what people have gone through and are still going through.”

Below the portrait of Sami on his first day of volunteering at the Children with Voices Community Food Hub in Hackney, London. Sami described Kate as "really caring" and "dedicated".

A video from the visit.

From there, William and Kate visited St Bartholomew's Hospital to meet Joyce Duah, a photographer and specialist oncology pharmacist at the hospital, who photographed her colleagues as they were re-deployed to the intensive care unit at the beginning of the pandemic.

The image of Amelia and Dipal by Joyce was entitled 'All in This Together'.

Joyce said, "Amelia and Dipal have been working hard as pharmacy technicians, delivering vital medication multiple times a day to ICU. I've watched them with such admiration for what they are doing and more importantly their positive attitudes. They spend their precious lunch breaks encouraging each other with humour and I think they are so brave. I decided I wanted to use my photography skills to document some of their journey. I'm so proud of the team and all they do and it's been a privilege to capture their journey during this historic time. One of their practices is to write their names on their gowns so that colleagues are able to recognise each other under their PPE and to help the patients who are conscious to feel closer to their carers."

The Duchess said to Joyce, "Thank you so much for the image. It had such an impact it captured the moment, it was a look behind the scenes. The story of what you experienced is so important."

The video below features footage from the couple's conversations with frontline workers.

As we enter a long winter and a challenging time ahead, seeing the images depicted across the UK will be welcoming sights and reminders of how much we've achieved already. To find your nearest display, please click here.

The Duchess was chic in a gorgeous autumnal red coat by Alexander McQueen. The classic cut and exquisite tailoring make this a fabulous addition to Kate's wardrobe. She teamed it with a white top and a midi skirt.

Kate's gorgeous new bag is the Grace Han Love Letter Small Top Handle Bag. The £1,595 piece is described as "a perfect companion with its elegance and classic shape. Its distinctive envelope closure is an ode to Love Letters of the past, present and future". The London-based brand was launched last year.

Kate's earrings are the Daniella Draper Luxury Maxi Cupid Hoops (with thanks to What Kate Wore reader Stephanie).

And her black suede Gianvito Rossi piper pumps.

The Duchess wore an Amaia Kids face mask in yellow pepper.

Afterwards, the Duchess changed into a navy ensemble to film a piece for the Pride of Britain awards with Kate Garraway. Our reader Jean notes it appears Kate's wearing her Smythe Duchess Blazer - that seems spot on from the photos. 

We'll hear more about closer to the date of the awards ceremony.