Duchess of Cambridge makes phone call to Newport family part of Hold Still photography project

The Duchess spoke to the family as they were involved in the Hold Still project. Credit: PA Images

The Duchess of Cambridge made a phone call to a family in Newport after they entered a picture as part of the Hold Still photography project.

The Hold Still project encouraged the public to document life through photographs during the pandemic and has since been turned into an exhibition and book

Ceri Edwards from Newport is a finalist of the Duchess' Hold Still photography contest.

The duchess called to discuss an emotional photograph taken by Ceri, showing her daughter Poppy hugging her father Mark before his shift as a paramedic in Newport.

Her Royal Highness praised the black-and-white image's "strength, courage and resilience".

The picture is a finalist in the Hold Still project. Credit: Duke and Duchess of Cambridge / Ceri Edwards

During the phone call, published on the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's YouTube channel on Thursday, Catherine and Ceri spoke about the power of photography.

The duchess asked if Ceri's husband was a photographer, to which she said: "No. Well, Mark would say otherwise just because I do take a lot of pictures of the family."

The duchess laughed and replied: "It's like me. Everyone's like, 'Mummy, please stop taking photographs'."

The duchess called the family in Newport to discuss their photograph entry. Credit: Duke and Duchess of Cambridge / Ceri Edwards

The Duchess of Cambridge has told how her children ask her to "please stop taking photographs".

The duchess, who is a keen photographer, revealed that George, Charlotte and Louis are sometimes reluctant to let her take a picture of them.

Ceri responded: "I know, but I love it. I love looking back. I think when you have children, time seems to go into warp speed, really, and it's just a lovely thing for me. You look back and see how much the children have grown.

"This picture was originally a piece of work set for our daughter during lockdown. Poppy struggled with her dad having to go to work, as a paramedic throughout the Covid-19 pandemic and she worried about him each time he left to go to work."