The art of arranging official royal photographs is surely a difficult task, especially when it involves three young children – and getting them to sit still.
This was the case for Getty royal photographer Chris Jackson when he joined the royal family for King Charles’s 70th birthday portraits in 2018. Chris, the author of a new book called Modern Majesty, has taken some of the most iconic pictures of the royal family.
Speaking on the latest episode of HELLO!‘s A Right Royal Podcast, he revealed his secrets behind the iconic photograph of Charles, Camilla, William, Kate, Harry and Meghan.
Charles and Camilla were sitting on a bench, with Prince George on his grandfather’s lap, and Princess Charlotte cuddling into Camilla. A baby Prince Louis, meanwhile, was being held by his mother, the Princess of Wales. The joyful image showed the royals roaring with laughter, and Chris has now revealed why.
He said: “We were trying to think about how to make it a little bit more lighthearted. When you do these formal portraits, it can be a little bit stiff.”
“It was a lovely moment, the kids laughed,” he added. “The grown-ups laughed. So what I loved is that we got the formal photo that we needed for history, I suppose. And then just came a really fun moment that resonated with people, everyone enjoying themselves.”
Chris spoke to HELLO! previously about this particular photoshoot, telling us in 2023: “It was an honour to be asked to photograph the former Prince of Wales and his family in the gardens of Clarence House as part of his 70th birthday celebrations.
“Official group pictures can be unpredictable, certainly when little people are involved. After some deliberation with the former communications secretary to the royal couple, I was able to secure permission to do things a little ‘differently’.”
To find out the heartwarming story behind the photograph, listen to the latest episode of HELLO!‘s A Right Royal Podcast, which is available to watch and listen to now.
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