Royal Photographers and their iconic photographs: the best of the best

[pipsfromthefuture]

Photography hobbyists and aficionados unite.

Welcome to the thread where you can display and discuss some of the most iconic photos captured by some of the most talented photographers.

These aren't your average Instagram photos. Oh no. These are the ones that live in your head rent free. The Marie Kondo of photos that spark joy. Where everything in the photo is perfection.

This thread is meant to be fun, light-hearted, and showcase the talents of those behind the lens.

Please do not derail, and do not use this thread to be snarky or have a dig about subjects you don't like, or to other posters. If you cannot keep in the spirit of the thread, then please don't participate or spoil it for others.

This is gorgeous! 😀

My favourite ever painting 😁

Fantastic thread!

Erwin Olaf, Queen Máxima of the Netherlands.

I think the composition of the blue satin one hasn't aged well. At the time I remember everyone raving about how amazing it was, now it seems very 80s and staged. Strangely I think the older photos have stood the test of time better so maybe this one will improve in another couple of decades.

The blue satin photo looks like they’ve all just been to the salon for a wash and set!

Some photos of the Danish Royal Family.

Firstly, Queen Margrethe as a young women doing military service. The 60s sunglasses would have seemed unremarkable then,but really add to the picture now! Then Margrethe and her husband Henrik at their engagement announcement. They always seemed so wrapped up in each other when they were young. And then Princess Alexandra, who for 10 years in the 90s offered Denmark all the Disney Princess realness they could have hoped for - and was wildly popular. She and Joachim, Margrethe’s second son, divorced in the early 2000s.

I used to work for a Princess Anne charity so met her 3 times

First time in tbe office she looked a bit frumpy but i coukdnt get over how oetite she was.
2nd time at a ball, she looked really good in a turquoise asian style outfit
3rd time was at a party st the palace and she wore a simple very fitted coral suit and looked amazing., she was verycrelaxed as she was "at home". This was back in about 2000 to 2005

I agree that very few photos will ever reach icon status.

Unfortunately that would have made for a very short thread because we have not yet had the luxury of time to see if some of the more recent photos truly are iconic.

I would say that some definitely will make the cut.

Until then, I’m enjoying the photos that others have posted. There have been some crackers.

I posted a picture of Queen Paola of Belgium as a young woman upthread, but here she is again, looking like she came straight from the pages of Vogue, And then her and King Albert as young cool kids.

Love those serenster and frying pan

This is my favourite photo of the queen and. Margaret together, as Girl Guides.

Maybe the message in from the OP needs to be repeated for those posting the unpleasant comments on this lovely thread:

Please do not derail, and do not use this thread to be snarky or have a dig about subjects you don't like, or to other posters. If you cannot keep in the spirit of the thread, then please don't participate or spoil it for others.

What I want most for the statue of ER II (the official national one) is a realistic one of her, riding Burmese - just like in this pic - on the 4th plinth at Trafalgar Square

It's an oblong plinth, so ideal for an equestrian statue

There is one of her on Burmese at Sandhurst. Again apologies for the screenshot

edited to add: it was unveiled for the platinum jubilee. I am lucky enough to have seen it

Absolutely loving all of these photos.

@FabulousFryingpan beautiful photo of her I don't know if you are interested but they have made a 6 part drama series based on Máxima and her meeting the Crown Prince Willem-Alexander. I will be watching it. Trailer is on youtube.

Agree-I was loving the thread and really nice to see posters able to enjoy all the pictures of everyone instead of going straight to the battle lines often drawn on here regarding members of the Royal family.

Think as this is a UK based forum it is natural that lots of the pics are BRF but love the others as well-including the American "royalty" wedding

Just want to see some early Prince Phillip...

Great thread @pipsfromthefuture

I like that she looks relaxed and loving her dogs!

Princess Anne's aged very well, too.

Excellent posture, fantastic skin, wonderful thick hair, make-up and clothes that suit her and are appropriate to the occasion - she's a commanding presence in every sense of the word.

My favourite royal.

courtiers on mumsnet in response to last week's threads

This is a fabulous photo.

Guess who

A couple of years ago I was looking at similar photos and DS glanced over my shoulder at Princess Margaret and said "Bliddy hell! She was good-looking wasn't she?" (He's 40 BTW - I don't have a sweary 10 year old or anything).

I said "She was stunning - honestly, film star glamorous - but old film star glamorous, not like the "slopping around in baggy sweatshirt" type film stars we have now. She was so beautiful she was breathtaking."

For some reason he was surprised at that, but I can see where he was coming from - they are, on the whole, just an average looking family with the occasional attractive "outlier".

From what I've read she was very selfish, though and definitely self-destructive in her behaviour - but beautiful, definitely, and she seemed to inspire great loyalty in her friends so she must have had good qualities, too.

LHW - met her once at an event - when she was about 19 - she was incredibly striking. This black and white photo barely captures her beauty. I remember her naturally glowing skin and bright eyes.

Not a nice insinuation about the OP being a paid palace employee, republicans and monarchists alike are enjoying the lighthearted thread, please refer to the opening statement about not spoiling it for others if it’s not your cup of ☕️

Re the royal blue "hairdresser capes" photograph of TLQ, TQM and PM, I remember reading (a long time ago) that Hardy Amies wasn't happy with the various outfits suggested and couldn't get a composition he liked.
He'd brought along a length of satin as part of a selection of props and eventually ended up using that for all of them, pinning and folding it into place (he was a dress designer too).
Unfortunately, I can't find anything that corroborates that and, indeed, it's said that the satin "jackets" were by Dior.
It's possible that HA had had three loosely fitting jackets designed and taken them along on the off-chance and the "spontaneous folding and pinning" become a nice legend that grew from that.
I never liked the photo as the material reminded me of the "Silk Cut" adverts (if anyone else is old enough to remember them?) and I've an aversion (verging on a proper phobia) to smoking and anything to do with it.

As to the various techniques used to alter/enhance photos now and in the past, I read that Patrick Lichfield said the best way to get a soft focus background and, hence, enhance your subject was to smooth the cellophane from a packet of cigarettes over the lens, then burn a small hole in it with a lit cigarette end.

Edited for typo