When it comes to a party, members of the royal family know how to make a show and fortunately, after all the uncertainty of the last few years, this royal event will be no different. As we clarified a few weeks ago, lighthouses will be lit, there will be processions, parades, competitions and street parties, not to mention a stellar concert at Buckingham Palace.
It certainly seems to be taking shape as a royal event to remember. The queen herself is preparing for the celebrations with a short stay in Balmoral. She often travels to her Scottish mansion at this time of year, but it will probably be something like a holiday before the big weekend.
In any case, to excite you for all the festivities, we decided it would be fun to talk to someone who has spent the last few decades documenting some of these important moments.
As a royal photographer for Shutterstock, Tim Rook had the unique opportunity to follow the Windsor clan around the world and see the royal family’s responsibilities first hand. Here he tells us what it was like to capture some of their most memorable cases and what he learned about them behind the camera lens.
CNN: How did you get into royal photography? Was it something you were always interested in?
Tim Rook: From a very early age, the role of a royal photographer has always seemed incredibly appealing to me because it combines the two things I love most: photography and travel. I worked for Shutterstock as a royal photographer since 1991, but I photographed members of the royal family many years before. There is something so rewarding about filming and accessing some of the most significant moments in British history. This makes my work special every day.
CNN: You’ve traveled far and wide in your role and documented some of the most memorable moments of the Queen’s reign. What was that?
TR: Being close to the queen is a really surreal experience. Being able to catch it in both serious and candid moments is something very few people will do in their lifetime. In my opinion, there is no one more famous in the world than Her Majesty. People all over the world have always been and will always be captivated by her every move, and it’s up to me to film her in these special moments so that the media can share them with the world. To name just a few, I traveled with the Queen to Australia, South Africa, Canada, Thailand and Ireland. Tours are always my favorite part of my job because there is less media and the royal family seems calmer. I even had the opportunity to fly with the Royal Family with the Royal Air Force Voyager. This is an experience comparable to flying an Air Force One.
It’s important for me to show her true personality, which is why I’m always so happy when I catch her smiling or communicating with the audience. I think the thing that sparked my interest in the royal family is how mesmerized people are in their engagements, even though so many of them happen every year. Unafraid of the routine nature of events, there is still so much mystery with the royal family.
CNN: Tell us about some of your favorite photos you took?
TR: Two photos serve as one of my most memorable shots, but I look forward to many more to be added to my collection!
I have always found the easiest place to take a picture of the queen calm and smiling when she is around horses. There are hundreds of photos I’ve taken that she enjoys racing – this shot was taken this month at the Royal Windsor Horse Show. We rarely see the Queen of Engagements, and although the equestrian show is in her back garden (at Windsor Castle), we only saw her one day visiting the show to watch her horses race. She watched part of the show from her car with the window down, looking calm, happy, and natural in her home environment. It is clear that she is in her element when she attends these events and I like to be able to demonstrate this passion!
I especially adore this photo because I think it’s such a close scene that everyone can enjoy. This was one I filmed as she celebrated her 90th birthday, waiting for visitors’ lunch to begin at the mall. The streets around Buckingham Palace were full of people bustling about before the big party. You can see the queen peering slightly behind the curtain to see what is happening. The twitching of the curtain is playful and shows a sense of curiosity from Her Majesty. I’m happy that I was able to shoot it because it’s such a natural moment. In other cases, the trick is always to take the right position to make it look like she is looking directly at the camera, but is actually smiling at the person she is greeting or talking to!
CNN: Have you spent much time with the Queen?
TR: The nature of my role means that I have no personal relationship with the royal family, although I am around them quite often. However, I think this mystery and vague anticipation help me capture some of my best work. As the Queen takes on fewer royal commitments, it is amazing to look back on the years and the incredible service she has provided and dedicated her life to.
CNN: Finally, after spending so much time watching her, what’s one thing you’ve noticed about her that the public may not be aware of?
TR: She loves to smile and laugh and has a strong passion for horses. People are often nervous when they meet the queen because of her status and the way they think they should behave. However, it is special to watch how she engages with the audience during engagements – she always takes the time to talk to crowds and can make the person she is talking to feel like she is the only one in the room. She is a professional and is highly respected by everyone she works with.
PHOTO OF THE WEEK
Speaking of the monarch at the moment … The Queen joined in with style at this year’s Chelsea Flower Show, embracing the design from the comfort of an electric buggy at London’s Royal Hospital Chelsea on Monday. The monarch’s mobility problems are already well known and have prevented her from attending several recent events, but she looked in a great mood as she toured the show this week. The Chelsea Flower Show is returning to its usual place on the gardening calendar after it was canceled in 2020 and postponed to 2021 due to the Covid pandemic. This year it celebrates the platinum anniversary, while embracing the theme of attention that goes through garden design.
WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING?
Megan mourns in front of the Texas Memorial.
The Duchess of Sussex visited Texas on Thursday after a gunman killed 19 students and two teachers at a state elementary school earlier this week. A spokeswoman for the Duchess told CNN that Megan had traveled to Uwalde “in her personal capacity to offer her condolences and personally support a community experiencing unimaginable grief.” Dressed in a baseball cap, T-shirt and jeans, Megan quietly laid a bouquet of white roses at the memorial with white crosses for the victims of the school shooting.
Queen gives rare access to home movies in the new BBC film.
A new documentary will take viewers to the heart of the Queen’s home, using the monarch’s personal archival footage, spanning from her early childhood to her coronation. The 75-minute special will reveal “rare personal moments from the monarch’s life, including her engagement to Balmoral and behind-the-scenes footage of her first tour abroad at the age of 20 with her family,” according to a BBC Studios press release. 400 rolls of film held privately by the Royal Collection in the vaults of the British Film Institute. The Elizabeth: The Unseen Queen program includes unreleased home movies to “show the fun behind the formality,” the queen said in a statement recorded for the show. “Cameras have always been a part of our lives,” she said. “You always hope that future generations will find them interesting, and you may be surprised that you were once young.” BBC Studios Productions creative director Claire Popwell said the film “reveals a warm, loving, playful family”. She continued: “Personally, I think the film demonstrates the love and affection that Her Majesty’s father, King George VI, had for his daughters, Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret. There is a scene in which he plays football and gets rough with the two princesses like very young children, which is particularly touching. “Broadcast in the United Kingdom on Sunday at 19:45 BST.
DID YOU KNOW?
Prince Charles made an unannounced trip to Romania on Wednesday to meet with Ukrainian refugees forced to flee their homeland as a result of an unprovoked invasion of Russia. The heir to the British throne was joined by Margaret, guardian of the Romanian crown during his visit. The two royals went to the Romexpo donation center for Ukrainian refugees in Bucharest, “to see first-hand the excellent response from Romanian authorities and international and local organizations to the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine,” according to Clarence House. More than 1,000 refugees come to the donation center every day for the most important things and support, the press release added. This is the latest in a series of commitments Charles has made in recent months in support of the Ukrainian community. Nearly one million refugees have fled to Romania as of May 25th, according to the latest figures from the UN refugee agency.
PHOTOS PRESENTED
Several jubilee celebrations highlight the Queen’s reign after her accession to the throne in 1952: The 25th anniversary of the Silver Jubilee in 1977; the celebrations of the Golden Jubilee for 50 years in 2002; and the diamond anniversary celebrations a decade ago for its 60th anniversary.
The monarch chose to celebrate other anniversaries, such as her Ruby Jubilee (40 years in 1992) and Sapphire Jubilee (65 years in 2017), with fewer …
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