The Duchess of Cambridge hosted a reception on Wednesday to thank those who helped make Hold Still a reality. Kate stunned for the event wearing a sophisticated cream tailored boucle and chiffon midi dress from Self-Portrait. The royal mom of three completed her look with a chic ponytail and statement earrings.

HOLA! USA’s sister brand HELLO! reported that the event was held at St. James’s Palace. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s social media accounts shared two photos from the reception writing, “Thank you to the brilliant partners who made Hold Still a reality! 📸. It took a long time to bring everyone behind this incredible project together in person but tonight we finally managed it.”

“The idea for #HoldStill2020 came right at the start of the pandemic, and aimed to bring people and communities together, using the amazing power of photography,” the caption continued. “It was made possible by so many partners - @nationalportraitgallery @coopuk @bookfairies_uk - to name just a few, and what’s more remarkable is how it was all orchestrated from kitchen tables and spare bedrooms!”

“The most special thanks must go to the thousands of people across the country who took time to share their experiences of lockdown. Without them, the project really would not have been possible,” the message concluded.

Kate and the National Portrait Gallery, which the Duchess is patron of, launched the Hold Still community photography project last year to create a collective portrait of the UK during the first lockdown. The project was turned into a book, Hold Still: A Portrait of our Nation in 2020, that was released in May featuring the final 100 Hold Still portraits.

In a message earlier this year, the Duchess said, “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.”