Royal wedding photographer got the couple's official portrait in just 3 minutes

Alexi Lubomirski on how he got the queen to smile in royal wedding photo

Photographer Alexi Lubomirski's images of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle captured the couple's joy, and gained worldwide attention. Lubomirski was invited to the wedding after taking their engagement photos last year, and just over a month before the big day, Kensington Palace called on him again.

He took the official wedding portraits of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex on Saturday. The acclaimed fashion photographer's work has graced the covers of numerous magazines, including Vogue, Elle, and Harper's Bazaar.

This official wedding photograph released by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex shows the Duke and Duchess pictured together on the East Terrace of Windsor Castle. Picture date: Saturday May 19, 2018. Alexi Lubomirski

Lubomirski only had 25 minutes to shoot six photos and relied on his assistants to keep an eye on the screen. He didn't know whether he'd gotten the perfect shot until the drive home.

"I was going through the pictures and kind of like flicking, flicking, flicking. And all the sudden you see the one and you're like, oh, amazing. This relief. It's very emotional," Lubomirski said.

In their official wedding portrait, the couple is casually seated on a set of steps and beaming. Lubomirski said he only had three minutes on that set-up – and it happened as naturally as it looks.

"I said, 'Let's walk out to the rose garden,' and as we walked down they were sort of hugging and it was just relief and happiness and then on the way back, I said, 'Listen, let's just sit down here.' And she just fell into that position and they were laughing and it was just constant smiling," he said.  

Less natural, and a bit more difficult to capture, was the family portrait.  Lubomirski was tasked with getting the attention of 10 children and capturing the queen's smile.

Royal wedding. This official wedding photograph released by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex shows The Duke and Duchess in The Green Drawing Room, Windsor Castle, with (left-to-right): Back row: Master Jasper Dyer, the Duchess of Cornwall, the Prince of Wales, Ms. Doria Ragland, The Duke of Cambridge; middle row: Master Brian Mulroney, the Duke of Edinburgh, Queen Elizabeth II, the Duchess of Cambridge, Princess Charlotte, Prince George, Miss Rylan Litt, Master John Mulroney; Front row: Miss Ivy Mulroney, Miss Florence van Cutsem, Miss Zalie Warren, Miss Remi Litt. Picture date: Saturday May 19, 2018.  Alexi Lubomirski

"I think she was probably smiling at my efforts to make the kids all look at the screen," he said. "I'd overheard some of the chaos of the kids before and I overheard somebody offering them a Smartie — a Smartie is an English M&M. And so as I got them all into their places, I screamed out 'Who likes Smarties?!' And everybody went 'Me!'"

As far as the mood, Lubomirski likened it to any other family gathering.

"In between shots, I glanced over my shoulder and it was like a family room at any family occasion. The brothers are talking. The children are being wrangled by parents. Grandparents were talking to their children," he said. "It was a very beautiful sight. Lots of happy family moments."

Royals. They're just like us. 

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