Kate Middleton opens up in emotional phone call as she reveals the one thing her children ask her to stop doing

Kate Middleton has shared the last of her heartfelt phone calls with Hold Still finalists

Kate Middleton, Duchess of Cambridge arrives to host NHS Charities Together and NHS staff at a unique drive-in cinema to watch a special screening of Disney’s Cruella at the Palace of Holyroodhouse on day six of their week-long visit to Scotland on May 26, 2021 in Edinburgh, Scotland
(Image credit: Photo by Pool/Samir Hussein/WireImage via Getty)

Kate Middleton has opened up in the last of her emotional Hold Still phone call series, candidly revealing the one thing that her children ask her to stop doing.

• Kate Middleton made a hilarious confession about her children during the last in a series of calls to Hold Still finalists.
• The Hold Still project was spearheaded by Kate Middleton and invited people to share their experiences of the UK’s lockdown with a photographic portrait.
• In other royal news, Prince Harry takes a break from paternity leave for a special Invictus Games announcement


Kate Middleton has shared the emotional seventh and final phone call with a Hold Still finalist and revealed the hilarious request she sometimes gets from her children. The Duchess of Cambridge spearheaded the Hold Still project, which invited people to submit photographic portraits taken during the UK's Covid-19 lockdown and share their unique experience of this difficult time. Last month, the final 100 images were released in book form, entitled Hold Still: A Portrait of Our Nation in 2020, which has gone on to be a Sunday Times Bestseller. 

Meanwhile, Kate Middleton’s moving phone calls with several Hold Still finalists have been released on the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s new official YouTube channel over the past few weeks. The calls, which took place last autumn, have allowed Kate to learn more about the story behind each of their powerful photographs. 

Now the final call has been shared and Kate candidly chatted with Ceri A. Edwards about their families. 

Ceri was the photographer behind the portrait, Be Safe Daddy, which showed her daughter Poppy sharing a cuddle with her dad, a paramedic. Kate Middleton remarked upon how “cuddles are very, very important” in this emotional phone call—a wonderful sentiment that also featured in the initial clips of the series shared on social media. But it was Kate and Ceri’s discussion about family photographs that saw the Duchess warmly open up about her own children. 

Kate asked Ceri if she was a photographer, to which she replied that she wasn’t before going on to disclose that she does take “a lot of pictures of the family”. 

“It’s like me,” Kate responded. “Everyone’s like, ‘Mummy please stop taking photographs!’” she hilariously added.

This adorable admission regarding her children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis’ reaction to her photography hobby comes after a royal photographer praised her “beautifully composed” family portraits

See more

Throughout recent years, Kate’s passion for picture-taking has seen many of the most iconic shots of the Cambridge family shared with the world.

From birthday pictures of George, Charlotte and Louis, to beautiful photographs of the Queen with her great-grandchildren, Kate really knows how to capture a magical moment.

And though it seems the Cambridge children might not always appreciate the number of photographs their mother takes, the final results consistently delight royal fans.

Emma Shacklock

Emma is a Royal Editor with eight years experience working in publishing. Her specialist areas include the British Royal Family, ranging from protocol to outfits. Alongside putting her royal knowledge to good use, Emma knows all there is to know about the latest TV shows on the BBC, ITV and more. When she’s not writing about the next unmissable show to add to your to-watch list or delving into royal protocol, Emma enjoys cooking, long walks and watching yet more crime dramas!