London – The official photos taken for King Charles III’s coronation ceremony. and Queen Camilla were released by the British royal family on Monday. The first of the photos, posted to the royals’ official Twitter page, shows the king, who was formally crowned on Saturday, seated in ceremonial robes with his sovereign’s scepter in one and the sovereign’s orb in the other.
Britain’s King Charles is pictured in full regalia in the Throne Room at Buckingham Palace in London. The king wears his robes, the imperial state crown and holds the imperial orb and the imperial scepter with a cross. Hugo Burnand/Royal Household 2023/Handout via Portal
As the official photographer for the coronation, Hugo Burnand was entrusted with capturing the portraits of the royal couple that will forever symbolize the beginning of Charles’ reign. But Burnand told CBS News the weight of that responsibility would be the last thing on his mind as he looked through his camera to smear the royals.
In an interview ahead of Saturday’s coronation ceremony at London’s old Westminster Abbey, Hugo told CBS News that one secret behind such a monumental task is good old-fashioned personal relationships – like his own with the King and Queen.
“Basically, it’s about emotion, and to get the right emotion, I have to have the right emotion,” Burnand told CBS News. “If you think too much, your mind is distracted and you can’t connect with the person.”
Britain’s King Charles and Queen Camilla are pictured in the Throne Room at Buckingham Palace, London, May 8, 2023. Hugo Burnand/Royal Household 2023/Handout via Portal
He stressed that focusing on the enormity of the task at hand just “wouldn’t work for me”.
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“I’m staying true to myself and my relationship with him through the camera and have faith that historically that’s worked,” he said.
Burnand has spent years photographing the elite of British high society and honing his craft at events and parties for Tatler magazine. His frequent association with the upper class eventually led him to photograph Camilla Parker Bowles – back when her only title was “Miss”.
Britain’s Queen Camilla is pictured with Queen Mary’s Crown and Robe of Estate in the Green Drawing Room of Buckingham Palace, London, on 8 May 2023. Hugo Burnand/Royal Household 2023/Handout via Portal
His reputation as a royal photographer was cemented when he was asked to photograph then-Prince Charles and Camilla’s wedding in 2005. It was a career-defining job that he almost had to turn down as he was in South America with his family at the time and all of their passports were stolen.
Burnand described how he brought in his own mother, also a photographer, as his “number one assistant” for the royal couple’s big day. He said the circumstances surrounding the wedding shoot ultimately proved crucial in cementing his connection with the royal family.
“From that moment on, we had a relationship that’s more than just a photographer,” he said.
“So when you asked me, ‘What does it look like when you look through the lens and you see King Charles III?’ Obviously I pay attention to what I see,” Burnand said, becoming visibly emotional. “We’ve worked together in this pretty nice relationship for so long that I’m seeing someone I already know well.”
Britain’s King Charles III and Queen Camilla are pictured with ‘working’ members of the Royal Family: the Duke of Kent, Duchess of Gloucester, Duke of Gloucester, Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, Princess Royal, King Charles, Queen Camilla, the Prince of Wales, The Princess of Wales, The Duchess of Edinburgh, Princess Alexandra, The Hon. Lady Ogilvy, The Duke of Edinburgh. Picture date: Monday May 8, 2023. Hugo Burnand/Royal Household 2023/Handout via Hugo Burnand/Royal Household 2023/Handout via Portal
Building trust with the royals also brought him the opportunity to photograph the wedding of Prince William and Kate, now the Prince and Princess of Wales, in 2011. One of the images he’s most proud of showed the newlyweds surrounded by bridesmaids and bellboys in playful, relaxed poses during an otherwise extremely formal event.
“It’s everyone’s true characters that came through in that moment,” Burnand said proudly. “What you see in this picture is real life.”
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But important as his personal relationship with his subjects is, another secret of his success as royal photographer is Burnand’s meticulous planning.
Striving to never keep his A-list clientele waiting, he practices every step of a photoshoot, conducting dress rehearsals by clock time and going so far as to get staff to step in and play each of the royals. The aim is to be prepared for all eventualities and to keep the process running as smoothly as possible. He even brings spare parts for every single piece of equipment that might fail.
“We even practiced using the spare wheel [light] Pear,” he said, “just to see how I would react and how it would affect the timing of the whole thing.”
Bernard said knowing when he’s captured the pictures he really wants is something he just has to feel. He said he’s found he naturally snaps his fingers when he feels he has what he’s been looking for – and that was the moment he looked forward to most ahead of Coronation Day.
Coronation of King Charles III
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