Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, gets ''so much joy'' from gardening.

The 38-year-old royal has previously spoken about her love of the outdoors and she's again stressed how much she enjoys being amongst her plants and trees.

Commenting on a portrait of a 72-year-old man at his allotment submitted by Zoe Norfolk for the duchess' Hold Still photography competition on Instagram, Catherine wrote from her and Prince William's official account, @KensingtonRoyal: ''Thank you so much for taking part in the Hold Still project. I get so much joy from being outside and gardening too. C.''

In her submission, Zoe explained why the allotment was so important to her subject, Ben.

She wrote: ''Lockdown Portraits: Ben, 72. Ben lives in a flat with no garden, he was allocated his allotment last year after 8 years on the waiting list.

''This year the allotment has been invaluable to him - he comes twice a day, finding it relaxing, tranquil, and a place to keep busy growing lots of veg. #holdstill2020 #allotment #lockdown #portrait #2metresofseparation (sic)''

Catherine has teamed up with the National Portrait Gallery for the Hold Still project, which aims to ''capture the spirit of the nation'' during the coronavirus pandemic.

The duchess has previously spoken about how ''passionate'' she is about spending time outdoors with her and husband Prince William's three children, Prince George, six, Princess Charlotte, five, and two-year-old Prince Louis.

She previously said: ''As children, we spent a lot of time outside and it's something I'm really passionate about. I think it's so great for physical and mental well being and laying [developmental] foundations. It's such a great environment to spend time in, building those quality relationships without the distractions of 'I've got to cook' and 'I've got to do this'. And actually, it's so simple.''