The photographer who took The Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s beautiful wedding pictures has revealed he snapped one by chance in just three and a half minutes.
Fashion and celebrity photographer Alexi Lubomirski took the three official wedding shots released by Kensington Palace on Tuesday.
One of them showed Prince Harry, 33, beaming at the camera while new wife Meghan, 36, sits between his legs and tilts her head towards them.
It’s a stunning shot that has garnered much praise across the world.
And now Alexi has told BBC News the iconic image was taken in just three and a half minutes while the couple were resting after a brief photoshoot in Windsor Castle’s Rose Garden.
He explained how the newlyweds had just posed for their official images alongside the royal family and their page boys and bridesmaids, before heading to the reception.
Alexi said the plan was that if the couple had “any energy” after the first round of pictures, they would take a few “intimate, quick shots” in the Rose Garden while their guests enjoyed the reception.
“We had about three and a half minutes to take the pictures as everything was like clockwork,” he said. “It was just one of those magical moments when you’re a photographer and everything falls into place.”
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Alexi said, after taking some pictures, he’d just told the couple they could go back inside, when he suggested they sit down on the steps of the Rose Garden for a few seconds.
“[Meghan] just slumped in between his legs. There was this moment when they were just laughing because they were joking they were exhausted and finally it’s all over,” he recalled.
“And they just looked at each other and were laughing and it was a beautiful moment.”
It really was!
Fans have lavished praise on the beautiful wedding image, with one saying: “Absolutely a stunning wedding picture and memory for the two of them.”
Another said: “So simple and elegant! They look so happy!”
A third added: “Best wedding portrait ever! Simply stunning.”
Alexi, who also took Harry and Meghan’s official engagement photos last year, has said it was an honour to be part of the couple’s big day.
He said: “It has been an incredible honour and privilege to document the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s inspiring journey of love, hope and family; from the engagement photos, all the way through to the official wedding and family portraits on Saturday.
“This has been a beautiful chapter in my career and life, that I will happily never forget.”
Alexi also said: “My parents always taught me to send a thank you note. 😊 So I just wanted to say, ‘Thank you’ to all the people who sent hundreds of messages of ‘Good Luck’, ‘You Got This’ and ‘Go Get ’em!’ in the week leading up to the wedding and the portraits that I was set to take on the day.
“To say that it was a big assignment would be putting it mildly and the barrage of good luck messages were a MASSIVE source of encouragement, so Thank you, Thank you, Thank you. xxx.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/BjDzLzhFiHT/?hl=en&taken-by=alexilubomirski
Harry and Meghan married on Saturday at St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle.
That was followed by a luncheon reception at Windsor Castle and a later evening do at Frogmore House.
The couple have delayed their honeymoon to get back to work, making their first appearance as a married couple at Prince Charles’ 70th birthday celebrations garden party at Buckingham Palace on Tuesday.
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