Kate Middleton couldn’t be more grateful to receive an intimate family photo from a young woman who has been through tragedy for her “Hold Still” photography project. She ringed her up to personally thank her for sharing the very touching picture of her grandparents holding hands in the COVID-19 ward of a hospital.
AMP in the post
Over the course of the previous year, the Duchess of Cambridge has made the time in order to speak with many of the 100 finalists who shared their lives in lockdown and surviving the COVID-19 era.
The photography book “Hold Still: A Portrait of Our Nation in 2020” was released on May 7, and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge shared a phone call with one of the participants on their new YouTube channel on Monday. The visuals campaign is not only to highlight the nation during the lockdown but present the struggles people faced as they dealt, not only the lockdowns but with the pandemic.
The Story Behind the Portrait “Forever Holding Hands”
In the fall, the Duchess of Cambridge and Patsy Evans spoke together and the latter shared details about the last moments of her grandparents who lost the battle to COVID-19 after 71 years of marriage.
Patsy Evans submitted an intimate picture of her grandparents Pat and Ron Wood that was taken during the later days of their life. The Woods was admitted to the COVID-19 ward of Worthing Hospital in West Sussex, England, in May 2020.
“At first they were nursed separately but were soon reunited. Kind staff pushed their beds together and gave them their own room,” Evans wrote of the image, titled “Forever Holding Hands.” In the picture, Patsy Evans’ grandparents were seen holding hands between their hospital beds. Evans also shared that the picture was taken by her “with gloved hands through a visor”. The day the picture was taken was also the very last time she saw them.
AMP in the post
Unfortunately Pat, 92, died in her sleep, while her husband, 95, followed five days later.
“They spent their final days exactly where they were meant to be and exactly how they had spent the last 71 years… together,” Evans further wrote.
Kate Middleton Wants The World To Remember Patsy Evans Grandparents
During Kate Middleton’s conversation with the participant, she thanked her and her family for bravely sharing the picture with the world.
“I wanted to say a huge thank you to you for sending in the wonderful, very moving photograph of your grandparents,” the royal mom-of-three said. “I’m so sorry for your loss. I’m hugely grateful for you sending in such a personal photograph. Were you able to spend quite a bit of time with them?”
AMP in the post
Evans explained: “They were in a room by themselves, after a few days of being in hospital and my nan got the positive result, they were able to put them in the same room.”
“Oh, that must have meant the world to them,” Kate added.
“My nan, it made her absolute life being able to be next to him,” Evans agreed.
Kate further shared with Evans that the photograph really moved her, “and that’s what I think is so lovely, is actually hearing people’s stories, and the things that have really resonated for them.”
The Duchess then appreciated the words Evans had brought together for the entry, saying that she loved the “sentence about saying how they appreciate the tiny things, and they took nothing for granted, and it was just the ability to touch each other and hold each other in those last few days.”
Evans then shared that she actually enjoyed a really intimate chat with her grandmother the night before she was hospitalized, while they watched the V-E Day celebrations. She also added that conversations about the royal family were present in their chat.
“She was talking about how much she loved the Queen, and then we saw some videos of you and your outfit!” Evans said with a laugh. “For her photo to be selected would have meant so much to her because it’s you, and the fact that they’re still having such an impact… wherever they are, they’d be chuffed to bits.”
Kate truly believes that their memory will surely be remembered, “And you know, their message, the fact that that sort of resilience, bravery, but also these small acts are the things that really matter, and really keep us together and I think that’s been such an important message, especially during the lockdown, and I think that really resonated with lots and lots of people.”
More telephone calls between Kate Middleton and “Hold Still” participants will continue to be released during the coming weeks on Kate Middleton and Prince William’s YouTube channel. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge announced the launch of their channel on May 5 with a casual behind-the-scenes look at their life.
The photography project by the Duchess of Cambridge Hold Still, which is now on sale, contains 100 portraits that aim to explore the experiences of people during the pandemic in visual form. Proceeds from the book will be split between the leading mental health charity Mind and the National Portrait Gallery.
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