Yahoo News Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Photo Taken Days Before Queen Elizabeth's Death Receives Honor — with Tie to Kate
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex's friend and frequent photographer Misan Harriman shared the news on his Instagram
An image of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry from their life after stepping back as working members of the royal family is now part of the National Portrait Gallery's photograph collection.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex's friend and frequent photographer Misan Harriman announced via Instagram on May 23 that one of his images of Meghan and Prince Harry was acquired by the National Portrait Gallery, the world's largest portrait collection. The black and white picture showed Meghan and Harry from the side, holding hands before they took the stage at the One Young World Summit in Manchester, England.
The snap from Sept. 5, 2022, was taken just three days before Queen Elizabeth's death. Meghan and Harry, who relocated to California in 2020 after stepping back as senior royals, were in Europe for a series of planned charity events and appearances when his grandmother died on Sept. 8, 2022, at age 96, concluding a historic 70-year reign. The pair stayed in England for the funerary events that followed.
"I am humbled and proud to announce that my portrait of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex is now part of the permanent collection of the National Portrait Gallery," Harriman captioned two posts on Instagram sharing the news. "Dare to dream folks!"
A spokesperson from the National Portrait Gallery tells PEOPLE that there are currently no immediate plans to display the image of Prince Harry and Meghan, adding that it will go through their cataloging process before it's available on their website.
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The news of Meghan and Prince Harry's photo entering the National Portrait Gallery also has a close tie to the royal family. Kate Middleton became the royal patron of the National Portrait Gallery shortly after her 2011 wedding to Prince William. The Princess of Wales, who studied art history at the University of St. Andrews, has previously called herself an "enthusiastic amateur photographer."
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Harriman has gotten behind the camera for many of Meghan and Harry's milestone moments with their family in recent years, including their 2021 pregnancy announcement of their second child and daughter Princess Lilibet's first birthday photo.
Earlier this month, the photographer joined the Duke and Duchess of Sussex on their three-day trip to Nigeria, where he was born.
Harriman, who was nominated for an Oscar for his short film The After, told PEOPLE in February that Meghan "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," he explained. "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, to capture the human condition in full fidelity."
He continued: “Whether it's beautiful children and the great love and fortitude of this couple, or whether it is when the world decided to refuse to look away from what happened to George Floyd, whether it's climate action, the gay and trans community is hugely important for me — my lens is always at their disposal, always will be."
Meghan hosted a special screening and moderated a talkback with Harriman and The After's star David Oyelowo on Nov. 15 at a private residence in Montecito, California, where she and Prince Harry live with their two children, 4-year-old son Prince Archie and 2-year-old daughter Princess Lilibet. In a December Instagram post about the event, Harriman wrote that it was "extra special" to have Meghan and "so many of my film idols watch this film."
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From left: David Oyelowo, Misan Harriman, and Meghan Markle at a screening of The After on Nov. 15, 2023Meghan also made a surprise video appearance to introduce Harriman before his TED Talk, "The Power of an Image — and the Mind Behind It," in April 2023.
“To have her recognize this work,” he told PEOPLE, “is just something I'm really proud of. And I'm deeply thankful as well… little old me trying to get into this world that she knows so well.”
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