Misan Harriman has returned with another iconic royal portrait, this time of the Duke and Duchess of Sussexes first daughter, Lilibet. The renowned photographer became a trending topic on Google following the pictures release as many began searching for more information on Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's go-to lensman.
Celebrating Lilibet's first birthday, Misan posted the beautiful portrait on social media alongside some heart-warming images of his own family at the party.
Naturally, 'Misan Harriman Lilibet' and 'Misan Harriman Twitter' immediately became breakout search terms on Google. The same occured when he pictured Meghan five months pregnant with Lilibet last year. The photographer, a long-time friend of the Sussex’s, announced the couples pregnancy with said image at the time.
‘Meg, I was there at your wedding to witness this love story begin, and my friend, I am honoured to capture it grow,’ he captioned the photograph at the time. ‘Congratulations to The Duke and Duchess of Sussex on this joyous news!’
The image became the perfect illustration of their new life outside of the Royal Family. Completely at peace, gazing into each other’s eyes – as deeply in love as all their friends gush about – it was a shot you can’t imagine ever being taken on the grounds of Kensington Palace. What went into the now iconic photograph? Well, the picture was said to be taken remotely on an iPad, with Misan based in London while Harry and Meghan remained in California at the time.
But there's a lot more to the friendship between Misan and the Sussexes. In fact, according to Misan he actually played a pivotal role in Meghan and Harry meeting. Discussing their choosing of him to take the pregnancy announcement photo, he shared the sweet nugget of the Sussex love story with British Vogue.
‘Meg reminded me that had I not introduced her to a mutual friend then she wouldn't have met Harry,’ Misan said. ‘I'm grateful for whatever small part I played…To be asked to help share this absolute joy after such an unimaginable loss and heartache is a marker of true friendship.’
The unimaginable loss Misan refered to is the miscarriage Meghan bravely opened up about in 2020, writing for the New York Times. ‘I knew, as I clutched my firstborn child, that I was losing my second,’ she wrote.
Who is Misan Harriman and how does he know Meghan and Harry?
While the origins of Misan’s friendship with the Sussexes are not public knowledge, he is also famous for a series of photographs from the Black Lives Matter protests in London – which he spoke to Grazia about here- plus has an extensive background photographing celebrities. He captured Princess Beatrice’s engagement announcement to Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi in 2019, another black and white image.
‘You can't be nervous when the subjects are so comfortable,’ Misan later told Vogue of the experience. ‘I call my lens the truth seeker, and that is exactly what was captured, two people who have found their safe harbour in each other.’
They didn't need any direction, because they are and always have been, absolute soulmates.
He spoke similarly of his glorious work with the Sussexes. ‘With the tree of life behind them and the garden representing fertility, life and moving forward, they didn't need any direction, because they are, and always have been, waltzing through life together as absolute soulmates.'
Who is Misan Harriman's wife?
Soulmates is how Meghan and Harry are often described by friends, but many wonder if Misan has one of his own – with the top search term around his name being ‘Misan Harriman wife’. In fact, he is married to Camilla Holmstroem. The woman who encouraged him to pursue photography seriously, until Camilla’s intervention Misan ran a media company called What We See. While he still runs the company, his hobby has since made him a household name in photography.
In fact, Misan is the first Black male photographer to ever shoot a cover in British Vogue’s 104-year history. Acclaim for his work on the BLM and Extinction Rebellion protests has seen his reputation increase tenfold in recent years.
‘I went out and started shooting whatever I could to develop my style, and anything technical that I didn’t understand, I asked the internet,’ Misan told the Guardian. ‘I still have a long way to go, of course, and I’m going to keep trying to be the best storyteller with a camera as I possibly can.’
Born in Nigeria, Misan moved to Britain as a child and attended Bradfield College in Berkshire. The son of Chief Hope Harriman, he launched What We See in 2016. As his career developed, he began to move in social circles of aristocrats, celebrities and royalty alike, his photography developing too – with the favourite photo he has ever taken being of Tom Cruise at the British Fashion Awards in 2019.
That has surely changed now though, given his extensive history with the Sussexes. According to the Sussexes biography by Carolyn Durand and Omid Scobie, Finding Freedom, Misan actually dined with Meghan the night before her first date with Harry – which, if you’ll remember, was actually a blind date.
Now, aged 43, Misan has two children and continues to cement an incredible legacy with his photography. From Marcus Rashford on the cover of Vogue to strong, compelling protest images, just taking a look at his work will tell you exactly why.
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