Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's engagement photographer reveals how the couple really acted towards each other during the shoot

Daily Mail​

2 days ago

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle 's engagement photographer has revealed how they really acted towards each other during the shoot.
In a video posted to TikTok, Alexi Lubomirski, 50, recalled taking the Sussexes' official portraits for both their engagement in November 2017 and wedding the following May.
The father-of-two, who was born in the UK but now is based in New York, was already known for his glamorous portraits of Hollywood and royalty.
The star photographer is also a prince of the Polish House of Lubomirski, whose royal lineage stretches back 500 years on his father's side and gives him the title: 'His Serene Highness'.
Even so, when he received a call from Kensington Palace shortly after news of Harry and Meghan's engagement was announced, he thought he was being 'pranked'.
As part of his 'reshoot' series, where he revisits old photoshoots from the archives and explores the stories behind them, Alexi recently decided to share a glimpse into what it was like behind the scenes of his famous shoots with Meghan and Harry.
Two weeks after receiving the call, Alexi travelled to Frogmore House at Windsor to meet Harry and Meghan.
Reflecting on the experience, he recalled how the nearly-weds were so in love that they were 'glowing' and 'twinkling'.
He said: 'At one point I watched them as they were talking and sitting next to each other.
'Every time one of them spoke, the other one would look at them and literally glow.
'And it was so beautiful to see, you know when you are sitting next to a couple who are freshly in love or have some amazing news.
'They were just glowing, and they would just look at each other and there would be this twinkle.'
Alexi had prepared some reference photos of other royals to use as inspiration but decided to 'forget' about them when he saw how the couple interacted.
'"I just want to photograph you guys as you are," he recalled telling the couple. 'All the magic is there in front of me'.
Alexi moved on to talk about each image from the shoot individually, and paused to reflect on a black-and-white picture of the couple.
The candid image, later used on magazine covers around the world, shows Harry gazing at his bride-to-be, while Meghan is wrapped in his coat with her ring on show.
Alexi said it was 'deathly quiet' on set as the chemistry was so strong between the couple it looked like they were about to kiss - something not typically shown in official royal photographs.
He explained how he managed to influence the moment to capture the perfect shot.
Alexi said: 'I said, "make sure you don't kiss!", which made them laugh. There was this moment of laughter between them, and it was so beautiful.
'I was so excited to get that picture, because it was a beautiful moment.
'These pictures just went everywhere. I was so shocked with how far they went.'
Alexi and his wife Giada were later invited to Harry and Meghan's wedding at St George's Chapel in Windsor in 2018.
A month later, he was asked to do the official portraits, explaining he felt a 'lot of pressure' as his name was confirmed to the public in advance.
The day itself, he said, was 'bizarre' due to the constant cameras, but also 'amazing' and 'beautiful'.
He remembered taking a formal picture of the whole family, with Harry and Meghan at the centre, surrounded by the Queen, Prince Phillip, Prince William, Kate and the royal children.
Later, he took photos of Harry and Meghan alone in the rose garden.
'It was their first moment as a married couple where they were just alone, and there was a sense of relief and beauty and joy,' he said.
The ceremony was watched by almost two billion viewers worldwide and hordes of well-wishers lined the streets of Windsor to catch a glimpse of the newlyweds.
In a statement released after the engagement shoot, Alexi said: 'It was an incredible honour to be asked to document this wonderful event, but also a great privilege to be invited to share and be a witness to this young couple's love for one another.
'I cannot help but smile when I look at the photos that we took of them, such was their happiness together'.
Alexi is a firm favorite with celebrities, and has shot cover stars such as Julianne Moore, Angelina Jolie, Demi Moore, Beyoncé, Charlize Theron, Gwyneth Paltrow, Natalie Portman, Jennifer Lopez, Selma Hayek, Katy Perry, Sarah Jessica Parker, Jennifer Aniston, Emilia Clarke, Julia Roberts, Nicole Kidman and Scarlett Johansson.
The photographer was born in England to a Peruvian/English mother and a Polish/French father and at the age of eight, he moved to Botswana with his mother and English stepfather.
He was introduced to star photographer Mario Testino and joined him in Paris as his assistant for four years and has worked regularly for Vogue and Harpers Bazaar.
He has also published books including 'Princely advice for a happy life' - a tribute to his two sons - and 'diverse beauty' about models not usually used in fashion magazines and campaigns.
All proceeds from his books are donated to the charity Concern Worldwide - which fights world poverty - of which Alexi is an ambassador.
The photographer had never done an engagement shoot before taking on the prestigious commission from Harry and Meghan.
'It was one of the easiest, most joyful jobs because they were so deliciously in love,' he told E! News.
He added that there was no effort needed to capture the couple in a variety of romantic poses, after telling them to just be themselves while he took their pictures.
'It was nutty. It was a very surreal end to the year because it came out of nowhere,' he recalled.
'I think one of Meghan's friends saw me on Instagram that I was in England during the announcement of the engagement.
'I was told later that this person said to her, "You should meet Alexi. He's great. You'd love him", and that was it.'
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle later stepped down as senior members of the royal family in 2020, and subsequently moved to the US.
They currently live in Montecito, near Santa Barbara, in California, with their two children Archie, seven, and Lilibet, three.
In 2021, Alexi later took the photograph of the family for their Christmas card - the first to be publicly released of Lilibet.
The Duchess, 43, has herself in recent months launched a series of new projects, including a cookery show with Netflix, her own lifestyle brand, a podcast - as well as returning to Instagram for the new year.