kate in june 2019

Today, the Duchess of Cambridge, Catherine, became the new royal patron of The Royal Photographic Society. The Queen has passed the patronage to the Duchess after having held the role for 67 years.

The new patronage has been announced ahead of Catherine’s surprise visit to a photography workshop run by The Royal Photographic Society and Action for Children, which is another of the Duchess’s patronages. During the workshop session, the Duchess explored camera techniques with children aged between nine and 18 supported by Action for Children at the charity’s Warren Park residential home in Surrey.

Action for Children, who are marking their 150th anniversary this year, is committed to helping vulnerable children, young people, and their families, across the UK. The charity’s 7,000 staff and volunteers operated over 522 services in the UK, improving the lives of 301,000 children, teenagers, parents and carers last year. The collaboration of two patronages that includes arts and kids – it must be Catherine’s favourite outing.

The Palace said, “The Duchess has a longstanding interest in photography, and this patronage will further highlight the beneficial impact that art and creativity can have on emotional wellbeing, particularly for children and young people. As part of her longstanding work on early years, The Duchess is on a mission to support organisations like Action for Children that aim to give every child the best possible start in life.”.

The Royal Photographic Society is one of the world’s oldest photographic societies. It was founded in 1853 with the objective of promoting the art and science of photography, and in the same year received Royal patronage from Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. The Society has over 11,000 members and runs an extensive programme of more than 500 events throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. Catherine was made an Honorary Member of the Royal Photographic Society in January 2017.

Duchess herself is a keen photographer and we have seen her skills in so many wonderful pictures of Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis she and William shared with us. Chief Operating Officer of the Royal Photographic Society Mike Taylor said, “

It is a huge honour to have The Duchess as our Patron, especially given her personal interest in photography. We know that photography and creative pursuits have such a positive impact for people of all ages, and we are excited to be working with one of The Duchess’s charities in support of their work.”

Royal watchers must remember some beautiful shots Catherine clicked at the Research Station of Danum Valley, Borneo, Malaysia during Diamond Jubilee Tour of South-East Asia in 2012. See all of the shots here.

In the foreword for a 2018 exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery, Duchess wrote about her passion for photography,

As a student at the University of St. Andrews, I chose it as the subject of my undergraduate thesis and photographs of children in particular, which feature prominently in the exhibition, are of real interest to me

During the visit, Catherine was shown black and white photos from the Action for Children archives of some of the first children helped by the charity when it was founded near Waterloo in 1869 along with others depicting the history of the Royal Photographic Society, also founded in a similar period. The photographs clicked today are also expected to be the part of charity’s archives.

During the unannounced visit, Catherine joined children from Action for Children in several sessions, run with Royal Photographic Society Honorary Fellows Jillian Edelstein and Harry Borden, that covered various elements of photography such as portraits, light and colour. Some of the children already have an interest in photography, whilst for many others, this was a first exciting foray into photography, which is known to be a therapeutic and enabling activity for many people.

Alongside developing new skills, the workshop highlighted how photography provides a universal language for young people to express themselves and release their thoughts and feelings. Action for Children CEO Julie Bentley said,

“This charity first began changing the lives of disadvantaged children 150 years ago and we are delighted the Duchess is helping us mark our special anniversary. Today we continue that work to support children because our vision is that every child has a safe and happy childhood, which we know is so important to the Duchess “

A video of the day.

For the visit, Duchess chose a beautiful floral summer midi dress. It was one of those outfits that send Twitter into Frenzy. After a long time, the royal watchers and fashion bloggers were working tirelessly to find the label of the dress. Finally, the crown of identifying the dress was worn by BethanHolt. Thank you, Bethan for the excellent find.

She found that the dress is based on  Ridley  London’s Virginia Midi Apricot Josephine Silk Chiffon Dress. The £449 dress is described as, “Playful and chic, this silk-chiffon midi dress features a flattering v-neck, fitted bodice, short floaty sleeves and a flattering A-line skirt with a flounced hem. Lined in luxurious silk,”.

ufonomore on Twitter received the confirmation from the label that it’s their style. Duchess’s customized dress is crafted from the fabric with a green and brown paisley print called Liberty Print. Established in 2016, the London based brand provides customization of any dress style in any fabric.

WhatKatwWore on Twitter shared the Liberty Open Collar Shirt from the House of Bruar that has the same print. The pattern is called Peach Flourish.

Another difference pointed out by WhatKateWore.

She paired the dress with her Castaner Carina Wedges debuted in May when she took her kids to her Back to Nature Garden.

Catherine brought back her Catherine Zoraida Gold Fern Hoop Earrings. The £150 earrings are described as, “Made in 18ct gold plated silver, these divine fern earrings add a feminine touch to the traditional hoop earring”. They are also available in Silver.

Embed from Getty ImagesI will leave you with this lovely shot of Duchess.

The post is in Progress will be updated soon.