Every royal fan knows that Kate Middleton is an accomplished photographer, as evidenced by several photos of her children released in honor of special occasions.
Who exactly inspired the mother-of-three to pick up a camera was unknown until now.
However, a new interview in the Sunday Express may hold the key.
The Duchess of Cambridge revealed that her paternal grandfather, Peter Middleton, sparked her interest in photography, according to Claudia Acott Williams, curator of Kensington Palace’s new photography exhibition Life Through a Royal Lens.
Claudia revealed to the newspaper that Kate told her and other staff at Historic Royal Palaces, the charity that manages the public areas of the palace, that her grandfather was a gifted photographer in his own right.
According to the curator: “Her grandfather had a knack for taking photographs. He used to show her his slides when she was a kid. He was the one who taught her how to use a camera.”
Mr. Middleton, a former RAF pilot, died in November 2010 at the age of 90. Following his death, it was revealed that Prince William had attended the Middletons’ birthday celebrations.
It was previously reported that Kate Middleton learned photography from her father, Michael Middleton, but the family connection appears to go back even further.
The 40-year-old Duchess is also clearly passionate about passing on her knowledge, having organized the photography initiative Hold Still to encourage people to document their experiences during lockdown.
There were 31,000 submissions from photographers of all ages, with 100 images selected for inclusion in a digital exhibition.
“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,” Kate said of the photos being turned into a book.
