Sophie of Wessex has long been a strong, constant presence in the royal family.
Ever since marrying Prince Edward back in 1999, Sophie has worked hard both behind the scenes on charitable projects, as well as making many colourful royal appearances (in some very glamorous outfits to boot, might we add).
So when her latest foray in royal circles was revealed this week, we had yet another reason to celebrate the formidable Countess – and this time, Duchess Catherine was celebrating right there with us.
If you cast your minds back a few weeks, you might remember Duchess Catherine launching her project, ‘Hold Still‘.
Held in collaboration with the National Portrait Gallery, the Duchess’s initiative invited people to send their unique photos capturing their time in lockdown – a poignant way to immortalise the various emotions and experiences people have had over the last three months.
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Of the entries, a select few will be exhibited in a virtual exhibition held by the iconic British gallery.
The royal mum was flooded with entries as the project kicked off, with many being shared across social media (and even some comments on the images from Kate herself).
But there was one particular entry in the last week that’s got everyone talking – and it’s all to do with Sophie.
Sophie and Catherine share a special relationship in the royal fold.
(Getty)The 55-year-old has taken part in the competition herself, sharing a striking image from a special moment she shared with a special subject.
Sophie took a picture of 26-year-old Ali Abbas, who was one of a group of volunteers at the Shah Jahan Mosque’s Covid-19 food bank.
The Countess linked up with Ali to celebrate National Volunteers Week in the UK, and shared the snap with the caption: “Packed with love.”
“Ali’s smile captures the enthusiasm for helping others that is so evident amongst the volunteers at the Mosque.”
The beautiful image certainly captures a moment in time – we wonder if it will make the final exhibition!
It is understood the Countess has been privately joining teams of volunteers this week as she chips in herself and shines a light on some of the work they are doing – particularly amid the pandemic.
Sophie’s image falls under the ‘Helpers and Heroes‘ category in Duchess Catherine’s project. There are two additional themes, ‘Your New Normal’ and ‘Acts of Kindness’.
WATCH: Duchess Catherine discusses her new photography project, ‘Hold Still’ on This Morning. Story continues…
Duchess Catherine will personally pick out 100 images from the entries to be in the exhibition, and clearly, she’s already having a tough job deciding.
Earlier this week, it was revealed she had been leaving personal comments on some of the entries via Instagram.
In one image showing a subject tending to their garden, the Duchess appeared to write a very personal note (by royal standards, at least), saying: “Thank you so much for taking part in the Hold Still project. I get so much joy from being outside and gardening too. C.”
She also commented on one image featuring a health worker: “Thank you so much for sharing your story and for all the amazing work you continue to do at this difficult time. C.”
And on another image showing a small child with a flower, Kate wrote:”A perfect example of Hold Still… the chance to re-engage and value the simple things around us. C.”
Looks like there’s going to be some stiff competition, which will make the eventual exhibition all the more special.
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