Alexi Lubomirski/Courtesy Of Kensington Palace
Alexi Lubomirski admitted that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s intimacy made him feel almost awkward when he took their engagement photos in 2017.
The royal photographer captured the lovely portraits of the couple on the grounds of Frogmore House in Windsor, Berkshire. He remembered that they were very intense when they looked at each other that it made him feel somewhat out of place.
He told the Daily Telegraph, “Every time they looked at each other I almost felt awkward. I kept thinking, ‘This is so intimate, should I even be here for this?’
Lubomirski spent hours taking photos of the couple and admitted that “being around them was very intoxicating.” Nonetheless, he enjoyed the experience saying, “I’m cheesy and I love taking pictures of people in love.”
The 47-year-old British photographer went on to take photos of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle during their wedding in May 2018. He remembered it being one of the most stressful moments of his career because he had to include extended family members, the pageboys , and the bridesmaids.
He was warned at the time that Prince Philip was not a fan of having his picture taken. There was also the matter of how to keep 10 under-10s looking at the camera. The children reportedly proved to be a handful and he eventually went up to Queen Elizabeth II and promised that would not take more than five minutes, to which she smiled and replied, “I’m not the one you need to worry about.” Ultimately, he got the children to participate when he offered them Smarties.
He also shared that Prince Harry was “really interested in photography” telling the publication that the royal “takes a lot of great black and white pictures.” He said he gave the duke ideas when he told him about the “different apps to use to create the perfect picture.”
This is not the first time that Lubomirski expressed his joy at taking the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s portraits. He shared that the couple was great to work with because of their love for each other in an Instagram post celebrating the duke’s 36th birthday in September 2020.
Along with a loving shot of the couple, which he included in his #AllLoveSeries, he wrote, “AS TODAY IS HIS BIRTHDAY, I had to add this photo of TRH Duke and Duchess of Sussex to the #AllLoveSeries…If you know me, you will know that one of the greatest joys I get from photography is when I get to photograph ‘love’ in some form or another…It could be the love between a couple, parent and child, siblings, or even friends .”
He continued, “To be trusted by your subjects enough, to open themselves up and have their connection documented and translated into an image, is one of the greatest honors, and one that I have been fortunate enough to experience, many times in my life . Thanks for the trust. All love. X”
He also told E! News back in 2018 that taking their engagement photos “was one of the easiest, most joyful jobs because they were so deliciously in love,” adding that he told them to just be themselves while he took their pictures.
Lubomirski also revealed that he had never met Prince Harry and Meghan Markle prior to the shoot. He called the experience a “very surreal end to the year because it came out of nowhere.” He said one of the duchess’ friends saw on Instagram that he was in England during the announcement of their engagement. He was later told that this pal told him, “You should meet Alexi. He’s great. You’d love him,’ and that was it.”