The royal photographer behind the iconic photo of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex walking in the rain under cover of an umbrella is being praised for his latest portrait of Meghan Markle.
This week, Samir Hussein shared a close-up photo he took of the duchess arriving at Westminster Abbey to attend the Commonwealth Day service, which marked her and Prince Harry’s final engagement as senior members of the royal family.
In the black-and-white photograph, Meghan, who wore an emerald green dress by Emilia Wickstead and a netted hat by William Chambers for the occasion, can be seen smiling.
The shot prompted an outpouring of praise for the award-winning photographer, who has documented Meghan and Harry’s relationship since before their engagement, according to his website.
“This is an absolutely stunning picture,” one person commented.
Another said: “Such a beautiful picture. Well done.”
“You’ve captured all the best shots of their visit,” someone else wrote. “Congratulations!”
Hussein’s work went viral last week after he captured a memorable shot of the duke and duchess arriving at the Endeavour Fund Awards for their first official joint public appearance since announcing their decision to step back from the royal family.
In the photo, Meghan and Harry can be seen smiling at each other as they walk in the rain.
Of the now-famous photograph, Hussein told The Independent that when he’d first arrived at the engagement he had not had high hopes due to the unfavourable conditions that night, but that it resulted in a "magical photo".
“Arriving at the engagement, my hopes were not high - it was pouring down rain which can be very tricky when shooting flash photography and also meant Harry and Meghan would be under an umbrella, which usually means it’s hard to get clean photos of the couple,” Hussein said. “Little did I know these elements would come together so spectacularly to produce a timeless image of the couple.”
According to Hussein, despite believing that the rain would be a hindrance, he positioned himself in the official photographer’s pen “in the best line possible to capture the couple head on” after learning Meghan and Harry would be dropped off short of the entrance to Mansion House and walk 10 meters before entering the event.
“As they walked towards me I noticed a flash going off from a camera in the crowd behind them. I knew that if that light could be lined up to be right behind as they walked then it could create a dramatic photo, acting like a back light in a studio shot. I managed to manoeuvre myself to line up the flash behind them and then had to work quickly, with just a second or two to get the shot, as they smiled wonderfully at each other,” he said, adding that the image “jumped straight out at me” once he’d uploaded the photos to his laptop.
“I held my breath as I zoomed in to check if it was sharp (with the rain pouring and many flashes firing, it's easy to end up with soft images),” he continued. “Thankfully, it was sharp and I knew I had a truly special shot.”
And despite photographing the royals for more than 12 years, Hussein said that photo in particular “really resonates”.
“I've taken many photos I'm really proud of, but in terms of the huge interest in the subjects and the response I've had this is probably the most iconic photo I've taken,” he told us. “It's a one-in-a-million when all the elements you could wish for as a photographer come together - perfect timing, great lighting, strong symbolism and amazing subjects make this a magical photo I am extremely proud of.”
