Kate Middleton Just Published Her First Book
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The Duchess of Cambridge has a new book coming out! Kate Middleton's book will be a compilation of photos and stories, but what is the story behind the future Queen of England becoming a published author? As it turns out, Kate has a passion for photography. In 2017, the Duchess of Cambridge was honored by the British Royal Photographic Society for photos she took of her children.
While some in the U.K. may have rolled their eyes at the duchess' honor, British art journalist Jonathan Jones hit back at critics, defending Kate (via The Guardian). Jones said, "The Duchess of Cambridge is a paradoxical icon of this age. For she is not a professional photographer, nor is she claiming to be a great artist. Instead, she excels at photography in the only way most of us all ever can: by looking at what she loves." In 2019, Queen Elizabeth II honored her granddaughter-in-law by making Kate the Royal Photographic Society patron. According to Vanity Fair, the queen was the patron for 67 years.
Kate is also the subject of a book published in February 2021, The Duchess of Cambridge: A Decade of Modern Royal Style. Author Bethan Holt heads up fashion news at The Telegraph and wrote the book to honor Kate as a British fashion icon who tries to "fly the flag for British fashion." Kate has a book about her, and it's clear the duchess is an avid photographer. But what will be in the photos in her own book? Keep reading to find out!
Kate Middleton's book features photos and stories from the coronavirus pandemic
The Duchess of Cambridge will publish a new book of photos that capture British people's lives during the coronavirus pandemic. People reported that the book Hold Still: A Portrait of Our Nation in 2020 will feature powerful photos and stories during the lockdown. The Hold Still book summarizes a project Kate Middleton started in May 2020 to collect images and stories from people around the United Kingdom that reflected "bravery and kindness" amid the pandemic.
As usual, the future Queen of England puts the focus on the British people and not herself. People reported in May 2020 that Kate asked people in the U.K. to "submit a photographic portrait that they have taken during these extraordinary times." The duchess wanted to collect photos from the British people that captured "the spirit, the mood, the hopes, the fears and the feelings across the U.K. amid the coronavirus crisis."
The Hold Still photos are close to Kate's heart. In the book's foreword, the duchess wrote, "When we look back at the COVID-19 pandemic in decades to come, we will think of the challenges we all faced." But the positive results of the pandemic crisis are part of the book. Kate also wrote in the book's foreword to "remember the positives: the incredible acts of kindness, the helpers and heroes who emerged from all walks of life, and how together we adapted to a new normal." The book is available on May 7, 2021.