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Queen Elizabeth II supported Kate Middleton’s special lockdown project in a very sweet way. Middleton had been hosting a still life photography competition called Hold Still, in partnership with the National Portrait Gallery.
The Queen lent her support to Hold Still by sending a special message to the 31,598 individuals who submitted entries. The 94-year-old monarch said that she sat down with her granddaughter-in-law to look through the submissions during their time together at Balmoral Castle in August.
The competition allowed applicants to illustrate life in the age of the COVID-19 lockdown, and the queen shared that she was "to see how the photographs have captured the resilience of the British people at such a challenging time."
A digital exhibition of the project went live last week. It shows 100 images selected from the large pool of submissions. The Duchess of Cambridge explained that her goal with the initiative was to illustrate "the fears and the hopes and the feelings of the nation at this really extraordinary time."
Queen Elizabeth commented, "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. The Duchess of Cambridge and I send our best wishes and congratulations to all those who submitted a portrait to the project.”
