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Kensington Palace Announces Kate Middleton’s Artsy New Patronage

Kate Middleton received yet another patronage from Queen Elizabeth today, and this one is very close to her heart.

Kensington Palace announced today that the 37-year-old Duchess of Cambridge has officially been named the Patron of the Royal Photographic Society, one of the world’s oldest photographic societies, by Her Majesty. Queen Elizabeth assumed the role of Patron herself in 1952 and today, she handed it to Middleton, an avid photographer.

The palace revealed the news on Instagram with a slideshow (seen below) depicting the queen’s time as Patron, as well as a collection of photos Middleton has taken over the years.

“Today the queen has passed the patronage of the Royal Photographic Society to the Duchess of Cambridge, ahead of the duchess’s visit to a photography workshop run by The Royal Photographic Society and Action for Children, another of the duchess’s patronages,” the caption began.

In the first photo, Queen Elizabeth can be seen using her keen photographic eye to snap a pic. As you scroll to the right, you’ll see photos of the Duchess of Cambridge attending photography exhibits—even one that includes a portrait of Prince Charles and his prized chickens.

The post’s caption continues on, “The Royal Photographic Society 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.”

So why is photography so important to Middleton? As the caption explained, “The Duchess of Cambridge 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.” In fact, her relationship with photography goes back to her pre-royal days. While at the University of St. Andrews, she studied photography.

Now, the duchess uses her photography prowess to capture stunning snaps of her kids. She’s taken several portraits of her children (like the last three in the slideshow) since she and her husband, Prince William, started their family.

Suffice it to say, she’s a woman of many talents.



lex

Cat mom, yogi, brunch enthusiast

Lex is an LA native who's deeply obsessed with picnics, Slim Aarons, rosé, Hollywood history and Joan Didion. She joined PureWow in early 2017.