14 January 2019. HRH The Duchess of Sussex smiles as she greets crowds of schoolchildren in Birkenhead. I love this photograph because, embedding myself within the crowd, I managed to speak to some amazing members of the public who had braved to cold in the hopes of catching a glimpse of the royal couple of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. Duchess Meghan spoke excitedly with elderly local residents about her newest patronages, and joked with schoolchildren about potential names for their first baby. One joked ‘Amy’, which Meghan laughed and relayed back to her royal aide — also called Amy — who found the experience hilarious.
1 February 2019. HRH The Duchess of Sussex smiles as she meets local residents in Bristol during a heavy snowfall. This photograph will always stand out to me as one of my all-time favourites because of the magical snow — it just adds another level to an already wonderful picture. To the best of my knowledge, it is also the first snowy weather Duchess Meghan has experienced in the UK as a member of the royal family. Fears that the royals may not be able to carry out a walkabout due to the snow and ice were strife beforehand, but thankfully ‘emergency grit’ was called in, barriers shuffled around, and a shorter walk made for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex to carry out.
6 March 2019. HRH The Duchess of Cambridge joins The Duke of Cambridge Prince William in the historic town of Blackpool in Lancashire. So close to my home city, this royal engagement was particularly enjoyable for me. I remember laughing and joking with locals about the weird, wonderful and wacky sights of Blackpool, especially a man who had been dancing nearby for upwards of four hours, and to the graceful approach fellow photographer Charlotte Graham made to climbing out onto the balcony of Blackpool Tower to photograph the couple from above. Despite the clear weather for this first walkabout, I photographed two more engagements by the royal couple that day, and the weather had grown worse with heavy rainfall and wind.
