Kate Middletonis back at one of her favorite places!
The Princess of Wales, 41, stepped out at the National Portrait Gallery in London Tuesday following its extensive three-year refurbishment. The gallery is one of her longest-running associations, as she became its royal patron in the first year of her royal life.
Kate Middleton at the National Portrait Gallery in London.ADW / SplashNews.com
ADW / SplashNews.com
Kate, who studied art history at the University of St. Andrews alongside her husbandPrince William, has called herself an “enthusiastic amateur photographer” in the past.
Kate Middleton.Paul Grover - WPA Pool/Getty Images
Paul Grover - WPA Pool/Getty Images
During the visit, she was taken to the gallery’s learning center, which has more than doubled its provision for learners and learned about a new initiative for children aged under 5 that will welcome families from the local community to encourage creative learning, play and exploration.
The princess'40th birthday portraits— which were temporarily shown in various venues around the U.K. during the renovation — will be permanently hung on the Gallery’s walls.
Kate Middleton, Sir Paul McCartney.PA Images/INSTARimages
PA Images/INSTARimages
The redevelopment project is the biggest the historic building on the edge of Trafalgar Square has undergone since 1896, and there are more than 50 new acquisitions including Joshua Reynolds’Portrait of Mai (Omai).
Elsewhere, Kate also viewedYevonde: Life and Colour, a new exhibition that explores the life and work of pioneering female photographer — and Kate’s namesake — Yevonde Middleton, who specialized in the early use of color photography in the 1930s.
Three years ago, Princess Kate paired with the National Portrait Gallery for her COVID-19 pandemic photo project to capture how British people — from ordinary families to health workers — coped with the challenging and often tragic times. It culminated in thepublication of a bookHold Still: A Portrait of Our Nation in 2020.
“When we look back at the COVID-19 pandemic in decades to come, we will think of the challenges we all faced – the loved ones we lost, the extended isolation from our families and friends and the strain placed on our key workers,” Kate wrote in the book’s foreword, explaining why the project was so important to her. “But we will also 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.”
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“Through Hold Still, I wanted to use the power of photography to create a lasting record of what we were all experiencing – to capture individuals' stories and document significant moments for families and communities as we lived through the pandemic,” she continued. “I hope that the final 100 images showcase the experiences and emotions borne during this extraordinary moment in history, pay tribute to the awe-inspiring efforts of all who have worked to protect those around them, and provide a space for us to pause and reflect upon this unparalleled period.”
source: people.com
