Listen up, folks: Royal photographer Samir Hussein is sharing exclusive details about Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s farewell tour.
The photographer—who has captured several memorable moments, including the couple’s iconic rain photo—appeared on a recent episode of the Royally Obsessed podcast, where he chatted with hosts Rachel Bowie and Roberta Fiorito about the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s final tour of the U.K.
Hussein admitted that he was just as shocked as we were by the surprise excursion. “I had actually been in Ireland covering William and Kate’s trip over there,” he said. “They only announced a couple days before that there was going to be a position for us. So, I literally had to fly back the night before that engagement in Ireland (that I was covering for Will and Kate) to do this job.”
Although London’s forecast included rain, Hussein had a “huge interest” in photographing the tour, since he knew it was a once-in-a-lifetime occasion. “As photographers, it was one of the last opportunities we had to photograph them in their current positions as royals, so there was quite a bit of pressure to get standout images,” he explained.
Hussein was able to capture the couple’s now-iconic rain photo, but it didn’t come easy. In fact, the photographer had just enough time to snap a focused picture before they disappeared inside the venue. “We’re talking about a few seconds when they get out of the car and start walking toward us,” he continued. “It was a split second. Normally as photographers you’re waiting for those little moments because you know you haven’t got long. You’re just waiting for that moment when they might give each other a quick smile.”
Hussein went on to say that while it was a bittersweet ending, he got the “closure” he needed. “I’ve been covering Prince Harry for 12, 13 years, so it was really sad that they were sort of stepping down from their positions, and I wouldn’t be able to photograph them in quite the same way,” he said.
One for the books? Check.