Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's Wedding Photographer Reveals Unseen Photo—and How He Wrangled the Royal Kids

Somebody had to call in the bribes.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle waving while driving to their wedding reception in a convertible
(Image credit: Getty Images)

It seems like yesterday that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle tied the knot at St. George's Chapel in Windsor, but on Monday, May 19, the couple celebrated their seventh wedding anniversary. The Duchess of Sussex marked the occasion by posting some never-before-seen photos of herself with Prince Harry, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet on Instagram—but another person who took part in the couple's big day also revealed a rare photo.

Celebrity photographer Alexi Lubomirski, who also took Harry and Meghan's engagement portraits, shared a TikTok divulging his secrets to capturing the perfect royal wedding photos. The photography pro admitted that it "was scary to say the least" to be asked to take such "historic" wedding portraits.

"Nobody knew I was going to do the engagement pictures, so there was no pressure," he explained. "With this one, they announced everybody before." Lubomirski said he'd "constantly get messages on Instagram" ahead of the big day telling him "don't screw it up."

Lubomirski and his wife attended Harry and Meghan's ceremony as guests, since he wasn't photographing the wedding itself. Afterward, he headed to the Green Drawing Room at Windsor Castle for the formal photos—but not before getting some good advice from a royal nanny.

Meghan Markle walking down the aisle with Prince Harry on their wedding day

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle walked down the aisle on May 19, 2018.

(Image credit: Getty Images)
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"Before Meghan came in, I heard the kids, the pageboys and the bridesmaids, and these were young children and of course they were getting bored and misbehaving," he said. "And one of the nannies said to them, 'If you're good, you're gonna get Smarties!'"

"For some reason that stuck in my head," Lubomirski added.

Before it came time to take the official portraits, the photographer asked Prince Harry for any advice on photographing the Royal Family—and he said it was all down to his grandparents, Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip. "You know, they're very old, they've taken so many pictures in their life," the Duke of Sussex told Lubomirski. "If you don't get it quickly they're going to just move out."

With this in mind, the photographer tried to gather everyone as quickly as possible, comparing the mood to "a Thanksgiving family event when you're trying to get kids to come in for a group photo." When they were running about five minutes behind, Lubomirski apologized to Queen Elizabeth and she replied, "It’s not me you need to worry about," referring to Prince Philip.

Doria Ragland talking to King Charles after Harry and Meghan's wedding, surrounded by Prince William, Princess Kate, Queen Camilla and Princess Charlotte

Meghan's mother, Doria Ragland, is seen chatting with King Charles (then the Prince of Wales) along with other members of the Royal Family after the wedding.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Prince William, Princess Kate, Prince George, Princess Charlotte at Harry and Meghan's wedding

A young Prince George and Princess Charlotte took part in their aunt and uncle's wedding as a pageboy and bridesmaid.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

But when things got hectic, it was the nanny's comment that saved the day. "At one point, none of the kids were looking at me," Lubomirski said. "They're all running around and I could see the [late] Queen shuffling in her seat. So I suddenly shouted, 'Who likes Smarties?'"

The line was a hit. "Harry suddenly said 'me!' and everyone laughed and smiled," the photographer recalled.

Lubomirski went on to share some of the portraits he took from the day, including one outtake that didn't make the cut. In the photo, Meghan and Harry are sitting on the same steps in the castle's rose garden where one of their official wedding photos was taken, but both the duke and duchess are looking down at their hands.

"It was their first moment as a married couple where they were just alone and there was this sense of relief and beauty and joy and they just slumped on the stairs," he said.

Kristin Contino
Senior Royal and Celebrity Editor

Kristin Contino is Marie Claire's Senior Royal and Celebrity editor. She's been covering royalty since 2018—including major moments such as the Platinum Jubilee, Queen Elizabeth II’s death and King Charles III's coronation—and places a particular focus on the British Royal Family's style and what it means.

Prior to working at Marie Claire, she wrote about celebrity and royal fashion at Page Six Style and covered royalty from around the world as chief reporter at Royal Central. Kristin has provided expert commentary for outlets including the BBC, Sky News, US Weekly, the Today Show and many others.

Kristin is also the published author of two novels, “The Legacy of Us” and “A House Full of Windsor.” She's passionate about travel, history, horses, and learning everything she can about her favorite city in the world, London.