Kate Middleton phones cancer patient Mila Sneddon for Hold Still project

The Duchess of Cambridge praised the strength and bravery of a five-year-old cancer patient in a telephone call released today.

Mila Sneddon, of Falkirk, was photographed kissing her father through a window as she shielded while undergoing intensive chemotherapy for leukaemia during lockdown last year.

The photograph, titled Shielding Mila, was taken by her mother Lynda and is one of the 100 final images included in the Duchess of Cambridge’s book Hold Still: A Portrait of Our Nation in 2020, which is out tomorrow.

Kate Middleton, 39, phoned Mila and Lynda last autumn and the conversation was released today on the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s new YouTube channel, alongside heart-warming photographs of Mila and her family.

Mila, who was four at the time, began the call by saying: ‘Good morning, Your Royal Highness,’ prompting Kate to respond: ‘Good morning. Goodness me, you’re so polite Mila.’ 

Kate Middleton, 39, phoned Mila and Lynda last autumn and the conversation was released today on the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s new YouTube channel, alongside heart-warming photographs of Mila and her family. Pictured, a photograph released today

Mila Sneddon, of Falkirk, was photographed kissing her father through a window as she shielded while undergoing intensive chemotherapy for leukaemia during lockdown last year

The duchess thanked Mila, and her mother Lynda who took the image, for sending in the ‘fantastic’ pictures, adding: ‘We love your photograph.’

Mila also asked the Duchess of Cambridge if she had a princess costume and said her favourite thing to do is to walk her dog Mr Cole. 

Mila was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia in November 2019. 

Early last year, Lynda and her husband Scott decided the best way to keep their little girl safe was to minimise the number of people she came into contact with. 

Lynda and Mila isolated separately from Scott and older daughter Jodi, who moved in with Lynda’s parents. 

During their separation Scott visited his daughter and would stand outside the window to see her. On one of these occasions Lynda snapped her daughter leaning against the window pane to give her father a kiss through the glass. 

The duchess thanked Mila, and her mother Lynda who took the image, for sending in the ‘fantastic’ pictures, adding: ‘We love your photograph’. Above, a grab from the YouTube video

The photograph went viral after Lynda shared it online and she later decided to submit it to the Duchess of Cambridge’s Hold Still project after the royal’s appeal on This Morning.   

Hold Still was launched by The Duchess and the National Portrait Gallery last year and invited people of all ages from across the UK to submit a photographic portrait which they had taken during the first lockdown.

From over 31,000 images submitted, 100 final portraits were selected and shown in a digital exhibition before being displayed across the UK as part of a community exhibition.

The Duchess of Cambridge has shared a glimpse of her photography book Hold Still (pictured) ahead of its release on Friday

Hold Still: A Portrait of Our Nation in 2020 brings together the final 100 Hold Still portraits, providing a unique record of our shared and individual experiences as the COVID pandemic took hold. 

The book, which has been put together with support from the Co-op, will be available in UK bookshops and online from tomorrow (Friday 7th May), one year on since Hold Still was first launched.

Net proceeds raised from the sale of the book will be split between leading mental health charity Mind, and the National Portrait Gallery. 

The funds will help to support arts and mental health projects across the UK, including Mind’s work in local communities and the National Portrait Gallery’s education and community projects.