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Kate Middleton is New Patron of the Royal Photographic Society

The Royal Photographic Society is one of the oldest photographic societies in existence, with a long history of supporting photographers and other creatives. Queen Elizabeth was patron for 67 years, but has now handed the role down to Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge and wife of Prince William.

Queen Elizabeth became patron back in 1952, the same year that she took the throne following the death of her father, King George VI. The Royal Photographic Society and The Duchess of Cambridge both announced the new patronage oh their respective Instagram accounts, with The Duchess promising to fulfil the role as a keen photographer.

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Her Majesty The Queen became Patron of the Royal Photographic Society, one of the world's oldest photographic societies, in 1952. 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 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. 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. Swipe to see some of The Duchess’s photographs taken over the past few years of her family. ? PA/Kensington Palace/HRH The Duchess of Cambridge @royalphotographicsociety @actionforchildrenuk

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“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,” writes @kensingtonroyal. “Learning photography is a fun and engaging way to help young people develop confidence and self-expression, and to help develop new skills.”

The Duchess joined young citizens from Action for Children for workshops run by the Royal Photographic Society, covering basics such as light, colour, and taking portraits.

Kate Middleton is no stranger to taking her own portraits, and was celebrated for her professional snaps of her children. In addition, Middleton reportedly enjoys nature photography, particularly of landscapes from around the world. Her camera of choice at the time was a Canon PowerShot G12 compact.

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? Learning photography is a fun and engaging way to help young people develop confidence and self-expression, and to help develop new skills — today The Duchess of Cambridge joined two of her patronages, Action for Children and the Royal Photographic Society, for a special photography workshop. The Duchess of Cambridge joined Josh, and young people from Action for Children for the sessions run by the Royal Photographic Society, which covered elements of photography including portraits, light and colour. The workshop, run by RPS honorary fellows Jillian Edelstein and Harry Borden, highlighted how photography provides a universal language for young people to express themselves and explore their thoughts and feelings. 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. Action for Children, who are marking their 150th anniversary this year, are 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 Royal Photographic Society, of whom The Duchess today became Patron, 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. Her Majesty The Queen passed the patronage to The Duchess, after having held the role for 67 years. @actionforchildrenuk @royalphotographicsociety

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The Royal Photographic Society gave Middleton an honorary lifetime membership in 2017, which was criticised by some professionals who felt she hadn’t earned the award. Regardless, the RPS are enthusiastic about the new appointment.

“The Duchess is a great supporter of the arts. She is a Patron of the National Portrait Gallery and the Victoria and Albert Museum, and has published many of her own photographic portraits of Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis,” writes the RPS.

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Ed Carr is a Yorkshire-born landscape photographer and nature writer. Having spent his youth in the North Yorkshire Moors National Park, he takes any opportunity to don his hiking boots and head out, camera in hand. When not out taking pictures or hastily scribbling down his thoughts, Ed’s halfway up a hill out chasing after his dog, Hendrix.

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