A run-in with the Queen's assistant & 3 key words on the day – Meghan & Harry's wedding snapper spills ALL the secrets
MEGHAN Markle and Prince Harry's wedding photographer has been opening up about behind-the-scenes secrets from the big day.
In a video, Alexi Lubomirski revealed the comical message he was given from the Queen's assistant when he asked for more time.
6
Alexi Lubomirski was the official photographer at Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's wedding and has been sharing secrets about the day
Credit: Tiktok/@alexi.lubomirski
6
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex tied the knot on May 19, 2018 in Windsor
Credit: Getty
6
Alexi snapped this official portrait - and shared a story about how he kept the Queen waiting
Credit: PA
The royal photographer shared how he only had a limited time to do the family wedding portraits and 'nothing was ready' when the late Queen arrived.
He shared: 'I look over my shoulder, and then—there's the Queen and
Prince
Philip standing in the middle of the room.
'Nothing is ready. No family members are in their place.
'And all of a sudden, me and Harry just looked at each other, and we went in opposite directions, trying to get as many people as possible into their chairs.
More on Meghan Markle
'Now, as we're all running around, I see the Queen standing there, and I say to her assistant, 'Could you just go and tell Her Majesty that we're gonna be just five minutes?'
'And she looked at me and said, 'No.''
Alexi explained how he had to walk up to the Queen and say: 'I'm terribly sorry, Your Majesty. We're gonna be about five minutes.'
Queen Elizabeth II, who was known for giving witty replies, is said to have responded.
Most read in Royals
Alexi continued: 'She looked at me and said, 'It's not me you need to worry about.'
'And I said, 'Oh. Okay. Oh.''
Meghan Markle reveals the reason why she always refers to Prince Harry as 'H'
The Duke and Duchess of
Sussex
tied the knot at St George's Chapel in Windsor - watched by millions - on May 19, 2018, and just celebrated their seventh wedding anniversary.
Alexi also revealed what it was like working with the likes of Princess Charlotte, then aged three, who was a bridesmaid, and Prince George, then-four, who was pageboy at the wedding.
Royal bribing
The photographer revealed the clever way the nannies bribed the group of kids so they would behave during the wedding proceedings.
He shared: 'I heard the kids - the page boys and the bridesmaids.
'And these were young children, and of course they were getting bored and misbehaving. 'And one of the nannies said to them, 'If you're good, you're gonna get Smarties.'
'And Smarties, in case you don't know, are like M&M's.
'And for some reason, that stuck in my head.'
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The royal kids were bribed with smarties to keep them quiet
Credit: Yui Mok / Press Association
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During the portraits Alexi asked if any kids liked smarties to make them smile
Credit: Handout - Getty
He later remembered the key detail during the wedding portraits - and it made for a sweet moment.
Alexi explained: 'At one point, none of the kids were looking at me.
'They're all running around.
'And I could see the Queen shuffling in her seat.
'So I suddenly shouted, 'Who likes Smarties?'—remembering what the nanny had said before.
'And all of the kids looked at me.
'And Harry suddenly said, 'Me,' which makes you smile, and all—everybody laughed and smiled, and the kids were like, 'Me!'
'So I took the picture.
Snap
,
snap
, snap!'
Wedding pressure
6
Alexi also did Meghan and Harry's engagement photos
Credit: Tiktok/@alexi.lubomirski
Alexi, who had been hired to take Meghan and Harry's engagement photos, shared how it had been 'scary to say the least' to be asked to do the wedding photography.
He added: 'So for two months before the wedding, I would constantly get messages on
Instagram
saying, 'Don't screw it up. This is a historical document. Don't mess it up.'
'So, there was a lot of pressure.'
Speaking of the day, he shared how incredible it was to be part of such a historic event.
Alexi added: 'You think, wow, s***—I'm at a royal wedding. This is kind of a historical moment. This is interesting to be at.
'And then your other part of the brain is going, s***—I've got to take maybe the most important pictures of my career, in about half an hour now.'
MEGHAN MARKLE'S STUNNING GIVENCHY WEDDING DRESS
Meghan Markle stunned onlookers as she arrived at
The former Suits actress chose to work with Clare Waight Keller 'for her timeless and elegant aesthetic, impeccable tailoring, and relaxed demeanour'.
Meghan wanted to 'highlight the success of a leading British talent who has now served as the creative head of three globally influential fashion houses – Pringle of Scotland, Chloé, and now Givenchy'.
Meghan and Clare worked closely together on the design, which featured a graphic open bateau neckline that gracefully frames the shoulders and emphasises Meghan's slender waist.
Alexi Lubomirski is a fashion photographer who was born in
England
to a Peruvian/English mum and Polish/French dad.
Alexi has worked with Beyoncé, Charlize Theron,
He studied photography at degree level at Brighton University.
After graduation he worked as
Mario
Testino's assistant for four years, and later went on to work with Katie Grand on the now defunct culture title The Face.
Since then his work has appeared in Harper's Bazaar US, Harper's Bazaar UK,
Vogue
Mexico
,
Vogue
Germany
, Vogue
Russia
, Vogue
Spain
, Vogue Korea, Vogue
China
, Vogue Nippon, Men's Vogue
China
, Numero Tokyo, W Korea, GQ
USA
and Allure.
He has also had
books
published of his work, and currently lives in
New York
with his wife and their two sons.
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