Kate Middleton praises a girl hugs her paramedic father in image for Hold Still photography contest

The Duchess of Cambridge has revealed how her children are sometimes reluctant to be snapped by their mother during a phone call with a finalist in her Hold Still photography contest.

Kate, 39, who is a keen amateur photographer, admitted her youngsters Prince George, seven, Princess Charlotte, six, and Prince Louis, three, will request: ‘Mummy, please stop taking photographs.’

The royal’s comments were made to Ceri, whose daughter Poppy Edwards, from Newport, South Wales, appears in a ‘touching’ portrait which is among 100 photographs chosen for Kate’s Hold Still project.

Named, ‘Be Safe Daddy’, the black-and-white image shows Poppy giving her father Mark a cuddle before he left to work as a paramedic during the coronavirus crisis. 

Kate launched the Hold Still initiative during lockdown and asked the public to submit their images which captured the period for a digital exhibition in collaboration with the National Portrait Gallery.

The Duchess of Cambridge (pictured) has revealed how her children are sometimes reluctant to be snapped by their mother during a phone call with a finalist in her Hold Still photography contest

Kate, 39, who is a keen amateur photographer, admitted her youngsters Prince George, seven, Princess Charlotte, six, and Prince Louis (pictured together with Prince William), three, will request: ‘Mummy, please stop taking photographs.’

The phone call between Kate, Poppy and Ceri, was published on the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s YouTube channel today.

Mothers Kate and Ceri connected over their shared love of photography.

When the duchess asked if Poppy’s parent was a photographer, Ceri said, ‘No. Well, Mark would say otherwise just because I do take a lot of pictures of the family.’ 

Mother-of-three Kate chuckled and replied: ‘It’s like me. Everyone’s like, “Mummy, please stop taking photographs”.’

Relating, 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.’

 The royal’s (pictured) comments were made to Ceri, whose daughter Poppy Edwards, from Newport, South Wales, appears in a ‘touching’ portrait which is among 100 photographs chosen for Kate’s Hold Still project 

The duchess is often behind birthday portraits of her three children and other special family moments.

Later in the call, Kate said Ceri’s image really stood out to her as it showcased ‘strength, courage and resilience’ as well as the ‘tenderness and importance’ of families 

‘It’s such a sensitive and tender moment between a father and a daughter,’ Kate said on the phone. ‘These simple moments have impacted so many and really resonated with so many across the country so thank you for sharing your photograph and your story.’

Named, ‘Be Safe Daddy’, the black-and-white image (pictured) shows Poppy giving her father Mark a cuddle before he left to work as a paramedic during the coronavirus crisis

Poppy (pictured) revealed to the Duchess that she was ‘so scared’ her father, Mark, who works as a paramedic, would catch Covid-19 at work

She said the image also acknowledged the importance of frontline workers and the different generations who dealt with the crisis.

During the five-minute call, which was recorded in Autumn 2020, Kate praised Poppy for being brave and quizzed her about her favourite things to learn in school.

Her mother revealed that 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. 

Speaking on the phone, Kate said: ‘I loved seeing your big cuddle to your daddy. Cuddles are very, very important.

‘I bet your daddy took that with him and it helped him all the way through his day at work.’

Poppy replied: ‘Thank you. I was so scared he would get the Corona.’

The video of the recorded call included a snap of a casual-looking Kate speaking on the phone (left), wearing a Whistles blouse, as well as a snap of Poppy and her mother Ceri (right)

Kate added: ‘It must have been a real worry for you… It must have been so hard for you, Poppy, but I bet you were very brave.’ 

A photograph of a casual-looking Kate speaking on the phone, wearing a Whistles blouse and black trousers, and a snap of Poppy and her mother Ceri appeared while a recording of their call plays in the background. 

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

After being home-schooled during the pandemic, Poppy is back at school where she continues to ‘love to learn’.

Her father Mark worked throughout lockdown as a paramedic for the West Midlands Ambulance NHS Trust at his station in Hereford.