Duchess of Cambridge's Hold Still book tops chart night before release

Rebecca Taylor
·Royal Correspondent
·3 min read
1

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The Duchess of Cambridge's photobook has topped the Amazon book chart the night before it is officially released.

Kate, 39, has written the foreward for the Hold Still book, which includes the 100 images chosen by the royal and a judging panel to represent the UK during the coronavirus lockdown.

The project was borne out of the duchess's passion for photography and thousands of people sent in their images which fell into three categories - helpers and heroes, your new normal and acts of kindness.

LONDON, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 20: Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge arrives for the launch of the Hold Still campaign at Waterloo Station on October 20, 2020 in London, England. (Photo by Jeremy Selwyn - WPA Pool/Getty Images)
Kate at the launch of the Hold Still campaign at Waterloo Station in October 2020. (Jeremy Selwyn - WPA Pool/Getty Images)
The front cover of the Hold Still book. (The National Portrait Gallery)
The front cover of the Hold Still book. (The National Portrait Gallery)

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With galleries closed for most of the last year, Kate took the exhibition to the streets, with photographs shown on billboards and at bus stops around the country.

She announced a book of the images in March, which is released on Friday, 7 May.

And on the eve of the book's release, it was at the top of the Amazon bestseller chart, as fans pre-ordered to make sure they would have a copy on the day it comes out.

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In the introduction to the book, the duchess wrote: "When we look back at the COVID-19 pandemic in decades to come, we will think of the challenges we all faced – the loved ones we lost, the extended isolation from our families and friends and the strain placed on our key workers. But we will also remember the positives: the incredible acts of kindness, the helpers and heroes who emerged from all walks of life, and how together we adapted to a new normal.

"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."

Her chart success comes soon after similar pre-order success for Meghan Markle, Kate's sister-in-law, whose first children's book is at the top of many of the site's children's charts soon after it was announced.

There were more than 31,000 images and the judges whittled it down to 100. (The National Portrait Gallery)
There were more than 31,000 images and the judges whittled it down to 100. (The National Portrait Gallery)
The book also shows the rollout of the exhibition, which saw pictures being put on billboards around the country. (The National Portrait Gallery)
The book also shows the rollout of the exhibition, which saw pictures being put on billboards around the country. (The National Portrait Gallery)

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The Duchess of Sussex, 39, wrote The Bench after being inspired by the relationship her husband Prince Harry had with their son Archie, who turned two on 6 May.

The story began as a poem, and the book has been illustrated by Caldecott-winning and bestselling artist Christian Robinson.

She announced the book on Tuesday and by Wednesday it had already taken two places in the top 10 of Amazon's children's fiction book chart, in the values and virtues category.

The hardback edition took the number one spot, while the kindle pre-order is positioned at number eight on that chart, and number two in the overall children's fiction list.

Proceeds from Kate's book will support the National Portrait Gallery and Mind, the mental health charity.