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Kate Middleton’s new book becomes bestseller on first day

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Updated on June 15, 2023

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Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle have unveiled their first books last week, with the Duchess of Cambridge launching a collection of photographs chronicling people’s lives through the pandemic and the Duchess of Sussex announcing her first children’s book.

It’s uncertain how Meghan’s novel, which is set to be released next month, will fare, but Kate is already a publishing powerhouse, with her book Hold Already being an automatic bestseller.

Kate’s book Hold Still, which contains 100 images showing Britain in lockdown, debuted at the top of Amazon’s bestseller list on the first day of publication. Kate unveiled the photography initiative with the National Portrait Gallery a year ago today, urging the public to catch the “spirit of the nation” during the pandemic. Some of the photographs submitted included sleeping nurses, protecting aged persons, and family scenes depicting the realities of operating from home, with 100 images selected to be shown around the country.

According to the social media pages of Prince William and Kate Middleton, the Duchess spent last Friday morning (7 May) collaborating with the Book Fairies, a multinational network of book lovers who leave books across the globe for others to discover, to conceal copies of Hold Still in different locations around the UK.

Kate has left ‘copies at places that gave us hope during lockdowns’ across the UK, along with judges and contestants in the Hold Still race, with a letter from the royal hidden inside.

“You felt like you had lived through the experience. That’s the power of photography.” Kate said of the images’ emotional power.

The project was revealed earlier this year as being made into a special coffee table book, Hold Still: A Portrait of Our Nation in 2020, with a special foreword written by the Duchess of Cambridge herself.

Kate was filmed putting a copy next to a fountain outside Kensington Palace whilst wearing a bespoke red coat from Eponine, which costs £1,650 for equivalent models.

Kate also spearheaded an effort to leave 150 copies of the Hold Still book in various locations across the UK for book lovers to discover and appreciate yesterday.

She led the way as judges and finalists from the photo contest, which drew 31,000 submissions, volunteered to support the Book Fairies leave more copies at other locations.

Each copy of Hold Still is “adorned with a gold book fairy sticker, gold ribbon, and has a letter from The Duchess tucked inside.” according to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s Instagram.

“Once you have finished looking through the book, please leave it somewhere else in your community for the next person to enjoy,” the letter urged finders.

The National Portrait Gallery and the mental health organisation Mind would share the profits from Hold Still, which costs £24.95. If you don’t manage to track down one of the limited edition versions hidden across the UK, the book is now accessible in UK bookstores and on the National Portrait Gallery’s website.

Meanwhile, the book rose to the peak of Amazon’s bestseller list almost instantly.

The picture book was number one in the Art, Architecture, and Photography category, as well as becoming number two overall on the rankings.

Kate also went to the Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel, where she learned how the Barts Health NHS Trust had teamed up with the National Portrait Gallery to provide workshops for teenage patients and their families.

The mother of three saw an ink and glitter print by Kate Brice on show at the hospital, where drawings are used to inspire patients, and said to her six-year-old daughter, “Charlotte would love that one.”

On his morning stroll, Twitter user Richard Ovenden snapped a picture of a book he discovered and added a photo of the letter penned by the Duchess inside.

‘Dear Finder, The Hold Still book documents a photograph project which captured a portrait of our nation as we lived through the first Covid-19 lockdown last year.

‘The images tell the stories of the challenges we all faced, but also how we came together in the most extraordinary times.

‘I am proud to have worked closely with the National Portrait Gallery on this project and thrilled that the Book Fairies across the country are returning the images to the communities at the heart of Hold Still.’

‘Once you’ve finished looking through the book, please leave it somewhere else in your community for the next person to enjoy,’ she signed the letter off with ‘Catherine.’