2 royal photographers reveal their favorite photos of King Charles through the years
Talia Lakritz,Mikhaila Friel
- Two royal photographers shared their favorite photos of King Charles III through the years.
- Shutterstock photographer Tim Rooke enjoys photographing Charles with Camilla, the Queen Consort.
When King Charles (then Prince of Wales) met the Spice Girls in 1997, Shutterstock royal photographer Tim Rooke captured a photo of him with a lipstick mark on his cheek.
British royalty and pop royalty met at a 1997 gala for the Prince's Trust.
"Watching them all converse and interact was really fun to witness firsthand," Rooke told Insider via email. "I captured a moment where Charles is looking straight at the camera with a huge lipstick mark on his cheek, and Geri Halliwell alongside him pointing it out. It was lovely to show a more playful side to the now king."
Rooke accompanied Charles on a visit to Jamaica in 2000, where he photographed the then-prince's wardrobe malfunction involving a rastacap.
Charles met Rita Marley, the wife of the late Bob Marley, in Kingston, Jamaica. When he was gifted a rastacap, he accidentally put it on backwards, which Rooke said "tickled most of those around."
Charles and Camilla, the Queen Consort (then Duchess of Cornwall) shared a laugh after encountering a bumblebee during their 2015 tour of New Zealand and Australia.
"I always say it, but the most natural and candid images are always the best, and very much a crowd favorite. And this one is definitely that," Rooke said.
Charles and Camilla were listening to a guide at a nature reserve when a bee started buzzing around them, which Rooke said sent the couple into "fits of laughter."
"I ended up capturing a very endearing moment between them," he added.
Rooke particularly enjoys photographing Charles and Camilla together, like this image of them dancing he took in Scotland in 2017.
Rooke captured Charles and Camilla dancing and "smiling with glee at each other" at Dumfries House in Scotland to the music of an Elvis impersonator.
"Their facial expressions really do say it all," Rooke said of his photo showing Charles and Camilla holding koalas in Australia in 2012.
Charles' koala was named Kao and Camilla's was named Matilda. Watching the royal couple interact with the koalas was "extremely entertaining," Rooke said.
Meanwhile, Getty Images royal photographer Samir Hussein likes to capture the king's spontaneous moments.
Hussein said one of his favorite photos of Charles was taken at the Sandringham Flower Show in 2015, when the then-prince and Camilla had to "react quickly to avoid being struck by the wings of an eagle called Zephyr, the mascot of the Army Air Corps."
Hussein went on to describe it as a "very unusual and spontaneous" photo.
Hussein captured Charles looking "relaxed and happy," also at the Sandringham Flower Show in 2015.
Hussein also takes plenty of photos of Charles alone, and he said one of his favorites is this photo of the royal leaning on an umbrella at the Sandringham Flower Show.
"I love how relaxed and happy King Charles looks," Hussein said.
Hussein joined Charles on a visit to France in 2014, where he photographed the then-prince during D-Day commemorations.
Charles watched a parachute jump just outside Rainville in France during D-Day 70 commemorations in 2014. Hussein said: "I love the way King Charles, with his big smile and dressed in uniform, is framed with the parachutes coming down behind him."
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