Not many people get too close to members of the royal family, but Getty Images royal photographer Chris Jackson has had plenty of up-close-and-personal moments with the royals. He recently spoke about the qualities that his camera doesn’t capture when it comes to King Charles III.
Chris Jackson has been photographing members of the royal family for almost two decades
Jackson began photographing the royal family 18 years ago. He has covered royal weddings, births, and christenings and has photographed “every major royal tour with the British Royal family over the last decade,” according to his website.
He has also worked closely alongside Prince Harry on his humanitarian projects, including putting together the Sentebale “Stories of Hope” photo exhibition, as well as producing behind-the-scenes photo documentaries of the Invictus Games.
Chris Jackson praised King Charles and Camilla Parker-Bowles for ‘working at a very high rate’ and having the ability to ‘connect with people and put them at ease’
During an appearance on the Royally Obsessed podcast, Jackson spoke more in-depth about what it’s like to photograph such iconic people and how even his camera can’t capture everything about the royals.
In his book, Jackson spoke of the importance of capturing the personality and not just the ceremonial aspects of the monarchy when photographing the royals. Pictures can’t show everything, though, and the photographer shared the traits that aren’t seen in photos of Charles and the Queen Consort Camilla Parker Bowles.
Jackson first commended the royal couple for their strong work ethic, explaining, “They’re working at an age when so many people have retired, and this couple are working at a very high rate. It’s incredibly grueling, especially some of these royal visits they go on. They work incredibly hard.”
When it comes to character traits that might not necessarily translate in photographs, Jackson spoke of Charles and Camilla’s “incredible ability to connect with people and put them at ease, all around the world.”
“I’ve photographed them on so many different royal visits [and] domestic events, and they have this amazing ability to connect with people very quickly,” the photographer shared. Jackson also listed off the couple’s “great sense of humor” and ability to not take themselves “too seriously” as other great qualities that “really stand out when I photograph them.”
Jackson spoke further about Charles’ people skills, saying that he is “always ‘on’…in the sense that…he has this incredible ability to turn up at every event and just be on it. That is an amazing side of his character, which I really admire.”
He went on to say that the king’s easy and natural way of communicating with people comes from his mother, the late Queen Elizabeth II, “who famously had this incredible commitment to duty and a great sense of humor.”
Chris Jackson is getting ready to release a book of pictures of King Charles and Camilla Parker-Bowles
Today, Jackson is preparing for the release of his book, Charles III: A King and His Queen. The book will feature photographs of Charles and Camilla, from official portraits to candid moments. Charles III: A King and His Queen will hit bookstores on April 18.
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