The photographer, Misan Harriman, shared that his image of the couple will join the permanent collection at the National Portrait Gallery.
Astriking photograph of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry taken just three days before the death of Queen Elizabeth II will be included in the permanent collection of Britain’s National Portrait Gallery, the photographer, Misan Harriman, shared on his Instagram page Thursday.
The black-and-white image of the couple holding hands on September 5, 2022, while attending the One Young World Summit in Manchester is all the more meaningful with context. When the Duke and Duchess of Sussex traveled to attend the event, it was not only the beginning of an unexpected stayover so they could attend the queen’s funeral, but it was also the couple’s first working trip to the United Kingdom since their 2020 exit from their roles as working royals. A few months prior, Meghan and Harry visited the country with their two young children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, in a non-official capacity to attend some of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations.
Harriman encouraged his followers to “dare to dream” in the posts where he shared his news.
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Harriman is a friend and frequent photographer of the Sussexes, and has lensed some of the most well-known photos of their milestones, including both their 2021 pregnancy announcement for Lili and the same tiny royal’s first birthday portraits, notably the first images shared where her whole face was visible. He also accompanied them on their recent trip to Nigeria. In 2019, Harriman also shot the official engagement photos for Princess Beatrice and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi.
In February, Harriman spoke with People about his relationship with the Sussexes, saying that Meghan in particular “is really as a sister to me.”
“I’ve been very lucky to photograph many special moments with her and her husband and her family,” he said. “My images of them do all the talking. Portraiture for me, whether it is royalty or whether I’m in the tip of the spear in any of the civil rights movements that I care deeply about, is looking for truth. That’s fundamentally what my lens is there [for], to capture the human condition in full fidelity.”
Of the Sussexes he added, “my lens is always at their disposal, always will be.”
According to People, the photo will not be displayed in the gallery for some time, but will first be cataloged.
Kate Middleton, the Princess of Wales, has been the royal patron to the National Portrait Gallery since 2011.
