Queen Elizabeth, Prince Louis and Princess Charlotte on the balcony of Buckingham Palace during Trooping the Colour in June 2022.Photo:Samir Hussein/WireImage
Samir Hussein/WireImage
An instantly iconic shot ofPrince LouisandQueen Elizabethon the balcony of Buckingham Palace duringTrooping the Colourat thePlatinum Jubileeis back in the frame.
Samir tells PEOPLE exclusively that picking a favorite is tricky between the commended set (the first five pictures) and the winning collection (the five that closed the carousel).
“Of course, I’m fond of them all, especially as it was such a memorable year for the royals and a year [unlike] any other in my career with the Jubilee and death of the Queen. However, I think my three favorites would be the Princess of Wales with Princess Charlotte, the Queen with Prince Louis and Queen Camilla, the Princess of Wales and Prince George at the funeral of the Queen,” he tells PEOPLE.
Princess Charlotte and Kate Middleton attend the memorial service for Prince Philip in March 2022.Samir Hussein/WireImage
The larger montage included Princess Kate smiling at Prince William under an umbrella in the rain during their tour of the Caribbean in March 2022, the couple smiling for a selfie with young people in Trench Town, the birthplace of reggae music, and Kate holding Charlotte’s hand at the memorial service forPrince Philipat Westminster Abbey.
The most playful might be the indelible image of Prince Louis, 5, reacting to the noisy flypast during Trooping the Color in June 2022 while his great-grandmother Queen Elizabeth seemed to laugh beside him!
The winning lot opened with a solo shot of the Queen at the Royal Windsor Horse Show, where the lifelong horse lover beamed at the equestrian event.
Queen Elizabeth and Prince Louis on the balcony of Buckingham Palace during Trooping the Colour in June 2022.Samir Hussein/WireImage
The tribute closed with photos of Prince George, 10, and Princess Charlotte, 8, sharing asweet sibling momentat Cardiff Castle in Wales, Princess Kate bright in white at the Royal Ascot, the Princess of Wales looking ahead before a Union Jack flag at Army Training Centre Pirbright weeks after Queen Elizabeth’s death and King Charles closing his eyes last Remembrance Sunday.
Prince George of Wales, Camilla, Queen Consort and Catherine, Princess of Wales during the State Funeral of Queen Elizabeth II at Westminster Abbey on September 19, 2022.Samir Hussein/WireImage
Samir also reflected on what it’s been like to follow the royals in recent months, including an ultimate royal occasion — thecoronationin May.
“The coronation was such a historical and amazing event to document despite standing out in the rain for eight hours,” he tells PEOPLE, sharing that one of his favorite photos was Prince George behind his grandfather, the newly crowned King Charles, as they left the palace balcony. The poignant photo visualizes the present and future of the monarchy, as George follows his father Prince William as second in line to the throne.
Prince George and King Charles on the May 6 coronation day.Samir Hussein/WireImage
Commenting on other pictures that pop from recent royal assignments, Samir cites a group shot of the Wales family on the Buckingham Palace balcony at Trooping the Colour in June — the first birthday parade of King Charles' reign — and a solo photo of Princess Katevisiting a collegearound World Mental Health Week.
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The Wales family on the balcony of Buckingham Palace during Trooping the Colour in June 2023.Samir Hussein/WireImage
Anwar chronicled Princess Diana’s journey from “Shy Di” in 1980 to the confident icon she became before her tragic death in 1997 at age 36. Last year, he opened up to PEOPLE as 140 of his images appeared in thePrincess Diana Exhibition: Accredited Access.
“The story of Diana unfolded in front of us,” Anwardtold PEOPLEin January 2022. “I saw every side of Diana. She was a genuine, good human being."
“You could see her go from Shy Di, looking down, to becoming stronger — which she had to do. She wanted to prove she was brave enough to do what she wanted,” he added of Diana’s 17 years in the public eye.
Anwar Hussein at the Princess Diana exhibit in Santa Monica, California in December 2021.David Crane/MediaNews Group/Los Angeles Daily News via Getty
David Crane/MediaNews Group/Los Angeles Daily News via Getty
source: people.com
