There's A Story Behind Harry & Meghan's Iconic Wedding Photo & It's Perfect
By now, you've probably noticed it's hard to look anywhere without catching a glimpse of a royal wedding photograph. It seems everywhere you turn Prince Harry and Meghan, Duke and Duchess of Sussex, are staring back at you. Fans have seen sweeping shots of Meghan's veil, touching tears in Prince Harry's eyes, and the Queen sitting in her epic green and purple hat. But, there is one photo that seemingly trumps them all. Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's overhead photo in the carriage has taken fans' breath away, and the story behind the gorgeous picture is truly awesome.
The image is damn near perfect. It was taken from directly above Meghan and Prince Harry as they made the rounds post-ceremony in a horse and carriage. In the picture, Prince Harry and Meghan hold hands in their laps and look over their left shoulders, and her wedding gown looks like it was pristinely placed just for this shot. Something about the picture is almost too perfect, like the cover of a Disney movie or an old painting in a museum... almost like you've seen it before.
Now, the man behind the picture has revealed himself and is responding to all of the hype. Photographer Yui Mok responded to a tweet calling his picture "exquisite." Semi-hilariously, he started his message off with "Thanks."
Mok tweeted:
Thanks, glad you like the photo. It was taken by myself, and I'm a staff photographer for @PA based in the UK. I was positioned on the roof of George IV Gateway of Windsor Castle, and they passed directly beneath me during their carriage procession.
He also took time to shout out the editors behind the image, too.
I should also add a big thanks to the @AP picture desk, who crop and tidy up the raw images that we send to them directly from our cameras on big jobs like this, before they are issued to the wider world. They tend to be unsung, whilst photographers end up grabbing all the glory.
Here's the picture again, this time a little larger.
Get real.
The picture has been reshared thousands of times and every time you look at it you can notice something different. For example, one fan pointed out it looks like Prince Harry and Meghan make a heart-shape, which Mok calls "purely coincidental." He elaborated that he took the picture through a grate at the top of Windsor castle and had "less than a one-second window" to take the shot. Mok says he was just happy he captured anything.
Meghan's veil and the tip of her tiara are two of the most prominent details in the photo. Based on a statement released by Kensington Palace, fans now know they were two of the most intense pieces of her ensemble, too. The statement explained the veil is five meters long (about 16 and a half feet) and made up of silk tulle. It stated:
Ms. Markle expressed the wish of having all 53 countries of the Commonwealth with her on her journey through the ceremony. Ms. Waight Keller designed a veil representing the distinctive flora of each Commonwealth country united in one spectacular floral composition.
... Each flower was worked flat, in three dimensions to create a unique and delicate design. The workers spent hundreds of hours meticulously sewing and washing their hands every thirty minutes to keep the tulle and threads pristine.
Pristine. Exquisite. Eff-ing awesome. All these words work when describing this picture of the gorgeous veil and happy couple. I'm sure one day I'll get tired of looking at the world's most beautiful event on the world's most beautiful day, but that time is not now.
Keep em comin', Mok.
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