Queen inspired by UK life-under-lockdown photos

Duchess of Cambridge Kate Middleton launched the project and more than 30,000 people sent in images

Tony Hudgell is a 5-year-old patient at Evelina London Children's Hospital. He walked a total of 10km throughout June 2020 on his new prosthetic legs, to thank the hospital that saved his life. David Tett/NPG

Trying to work and home-school when you have a 3-year-old and an 11-year-old is an exercise in tuning out the noise. Ania Wilk-Lawton/NPG

A rainbow is an arch of colour, visible in the sky, caused by refraction and the reflection of the sun's rays on water droplets. H. De Klerk/NPG

Easter Saturday 2020 and precious, intensely emotional moments at a care home. Kris Tantag and Sue Hicks/NPG

'We always want our residents at our dementia nursing home to know we are smiling under our masks.' Jill Bowler and Trevor Edwards/NPG

The saddest day of their lives, when their father died on the 22 March 2020. Kamrul Hasan/NPG

'This wasn't a moment of weakness though. This was my friend getting ready to 'go again’. This showed the determination that every single key worker has.' Glenn Dene/NPG

Gladys and Jack join the weekly applause for the National Health Service. Tricia Gilmore/NPG

This image was taken as part of a series of lockdown portraits called ‘Furloughed Friendship’. Sarah Weal/NPG

The children of keyworkers at Sheringham Primary School, Norfolk created a huge rainbow. Chris Taylor/NPG

The Stockport Spider Men was started by friends Jason Baird and Andrew Baldock who both took to the streets of at the start of lockdown dressed as Spider Man to use their daily exercise time to keep the children smiling. Jason Baird/NPG

'My daughter photographed behind a glass door during lockdown.' Simon Murphy/NPG

'We took the decision as a family to isolate at home with myself in the week prior to lockdown to protect Mila, who has acute lymphoblastic leukaemia.' Lynda Sneddon/NPG

Self isolation during the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic in Edinburgh. Helen Patience/NPG

This image was shot and edited by Coni, age 4. 'We were too absorbed in the tension of the moment to realise she was taking it so the emotions are very real.' Kate Ainger and Coni/NPG

Jen, and her little girl, Florence.. Matt Utton and Jennifer O'Sullivan/NPG

Care worker Fabiana, with Jack, in his room. Karwai Tang/NPG

Shopping in the days just before lockdown. Julie Thiberg/NPG

Sarah shows her housebound grandfather the 12-week scan photograph of her first baby. Julie Aoulad-Ali and Kamal Riyani/NPG

A one-year-old little boy and his 88-year-old great grandma. Steph James/NPG

After a long week looking after patients, they wanted to lift the mood. Imogen Johnston/NPG

Joanna is an NHS midwife at the Rosie Hospital in Cambridge. Harry Hall/NPG

Amelia, has Down’s Syndrome and raises a lot of positive awareness on social media under Amelia May Changing Attitudes. Wendy Huson/NPG

Tendai, a recovery and anaesthetics nurse, who was born in Zimbabwe, and now lives in Reading, Berkshire. Neil Palmer/NPG

'Those visits, at first through a window, and now masked and cautious sitting on their balcony, have been a godsend during this isolated period.' Sarah Lee/NPG

Three-year-old daughter, Phoebe is ‘a rainbow baby’: one who was born to a family after the loss of a child through stillbirth, miscarriage or death during infancy. Rachel Louise Pugh/NPG

Church services found a way. Tim Hayward and Beth Hayward/NPG

Neil is drawing things he can see from their windows for his six-month-old daughter, Sienna. LIsa Bennett/NPG

'My mum's excitement on her 100th birthday having received a card from Her Majesty The Queen, with whom she shares her birthday.' Anita Reilly/NPG

'I was visiting my grandma whilst keeping a safe distance, which felt strange because we always used to hug when we saw each other.' Claudia Minchin/NPG

Hanna and her nurse heading to theatre for a procedure during the pandemic. Lisa Miller/NPG

Arlo plays eye spy through a gap in the patio screen. Rory Trappe/NPG

Millie made a cut out of her much loved grandma. Melanie Lowis/NPG

Isobel missed being read stories by her grandma, so every few nights she would get a bedtime story via a video. Laura Macey/NPG

They were separated for three months. Lesley Garven/NPG

Love and connection during lockdown. Simran Janjua/NPG

'This is my darling Nan, my ray of shining light.' Jessica Sommerville/NPG

Britain's Queen Elizabeth said she was 'inspired' by photos of life under lockdown that showed people separated but smiling, worshipping at a distance and cheering the National Health Service.
The Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton, launched the project and 30,000 photographers answered the call. The 100 best became part of the Hold Still exhibition which launched on Monday.

The images explore three themes: Helpers and Heroes; Your New Normal; and Acts of Kindness.
"It was with great pleasure that I had the opportunity to look through a number of the portraits that made the final 100 images for the Hold Still photography project," Queen Elizabeth said.

“The Duchess of Cambridge and I were inspired to see how the photographs have captured the resilience of the British people at such a challenging time, whether that is through celebrating front-line workers, recognising community spirit or showing the efforts of individuals supporting those in need.

“The Duchess of Cambridge and I send our best wishes and congratulations to all those who submitted a portrait to the project.”

Kate – the wife of Prince William and a keen photographer herself – and other members of the judging panel assessed the images on the emotions and experiences they convey rather than on their photographic quality or technical expertise.

“I felt really strongly that I wanted to try to create a portrait of the nation, that captures the fears and the hopes and the feelings of the nation at this really extraordinary time. As a record, I suppose, for the years to come,” the duchess said.

“The thing that I think has struck me going through all of these images is how difficult and diverse everyone's experience of Covid-19 has been.

“No one story is the same, everyone's is unique. It's like a huge roller coaster of emotions, but I suppose that's what everyone has experienced. It's a reflection of what everyone's been through at this time.”