Coronavirus: Duchess of Cambridge launches portraits photo project

The Duchess of Cambridge has launched a photography project with the National Portrait Gallery, aimed at capturing a snapshot of the UK during the coronavirus crisis.

Keen photographer Catherine said she hoped Hold Still would show "what everyone is going through".

Members of the public can submit images inspired by three themes - Helpers and Heroes, Your New Normal and Acts of Kindness - by 18 June.

The gallery will select 100 images.

They will displayed in an online exhibition.

"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," Catherine added.

"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," she continued.

"Photographs reflecting resilience, bravery, kindness - all those things that people are experiencing."

Speaking on ITV's This Morning programme on Thursday, the duchess stressed that "everyone and anyone" could participate in the project.

"The magic of photography is it can capture a moment and tell a story," she told co-presenters Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby.

She asked participants "to showcase and share what they're going through" and "try and tell their part of the story".

She also praised the way communities have come together during the lockdown, adding: "Small acts of kindness go such a long way."

The duchess has been patron of the National Portrait Gallery since 2012.

Its director Nicholas Cullinan said Hold Still would "provide an inclusive perspective on, and an important historical record of, these unprecedented times".

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