Royal Photographer Reveals Favorites from 'Memorable Year' — Including “That” Snap of Prince Louis (Exclusive)
"It was such a memorable year for the royals and a year [unlike] any other in my career," Samir Hussein tells PEOPLE of what he captured with his camera in 2022
Samir Hussein/WireImage
Queen Elizabeth, Prince Louis and Princess Charlotte on the balcony of Buckingham Palace during Trooping the Colour in June 2022.An instantly iconic shot of Prince Louis and Queen Elizabeth on the balcony of Buckingham Palace during Trooping the Colour at the Platinum Jubilee is back in the frame.
On Wednesday, Samir Hussein announced that he won the Royal Photographer of the Year at the Picture Editor Guild Awards this week and shared the images on X. The Nikon ambassador posted 10 recognizable photos from 2022 featuring Prince William, Kate Middleton, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, Prince Louis, Queen Elizabeth, Queen Camilla and King Charles.
Samir tells PEOPLE exclusively that picking a favorite is tricky between the commended set (the first five pictures) and the winning collection (the five that closed the carousel).
“Of course, I'm fond of them all, especially as it was such a memorable year for the royals and a year [unlike] any other in my career with the Jubilee and death of the Queen. However, I think my three favorites would be the Princess of Wales with Princess Charlotte, the Queen with Prince Louis and Queen Camilla, the Princess of Wales and Prince George at the funeral of the Queen,” he tells PEOPLE.
Samir Hussein/WireImage
Princess Charlotte and Kate Middleton attend the memorial service for Prince Philip in March 2022.The larger montage included Princess Kate smiling at Prince William under an umbrella in the rain during their tour of the Caribbean in March 2022, the couple smiling for a selfie with young people in Trench Town, the birthplace of reggae music, and Kate holding Charlotte’s hand at the memorial service for Prince Philip at Westminster Abbey.
The most playful might be the indelible image of Prince Louis, 5, reacting to the noisy flypast during Trooping the Color in June 2022 while his great-grandmother Queen Elizabeth seemed to laugh beside him!
The winning lot opened with a solo shot of the Queen at the Royal Windsor Horse Show, where the lifelong horse lover beamed at the equestrian event.
Samir Hussein/WireImage
Queen Elizabeth and Prince Louis on the balcony of Buckingham Palace during Trooping the Colour in June 2022.The series took a somber turn with the photo of Camilla, Kate and George traveling by car to Queen Elizabeth’s state funeral in September 2022. The long-reigning monarch died Sept. 8, 2022, at age 96, hours after her doctors publicly announced they were “concerned” for her health.
The tribute closed with photos of Prince George, 10, and Princess Charlotte, 8, sharing a sweet sibling moment at Cardiff Castle in Wales, Princess Kate bright in white at the Royal Ascot, the Princess of Wales looking ahead before a Union Jack flag at Army Training Centre Pirbright weeks after Queen Elizabeth’s death and King Charles closing his eyes last Remembrance Sunday.
Samir Hussein/WireImage
Prince George of Wales, Camilla, Queen Consort and Catherine, Princess of Wales during the State Funeral of Queen Elizabeth II at Westminster Abbey on September 19, 2022.Samir also reflected on what it’s been like to follow the royals in recent months, including an ultimate royal occasion — the coronation in May.
“The coronation was such a historical and amazing event to document despite standing out in the rain for eight hours,” he tells PEOPLE, sharing that one of his favorite photos was Prince George behind his grandfather, the newly crowned King Charles, as they left the palace balcony. The poignant photo visualizes the present and future of the monarchy, as George follows his father Prince William as second in line to the throne.
Samir Hussein/WireImage
Prince George and King Charles on the May 6 coronation day.Commenting on other pictures that pop from recent royal assignments, Samir cites a group shot of the Wales family on the Buckingham Palace balcony at Trooping the Colour in June — the first birthday parade of King Charles' reign — and a solo photo of Princess Kate visiting a college around World Mental Health Week.
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Samir Hussein/WireImage
The Wales family on the balcony of Buckingham Palace during Trooping the Colour in June 2023.The latest accolade is a royal repeat for the professional photographer, who won Royal Photographer of the Year at the Picture Editor Awards in 2021. Samir follows in his father’s footsteps as a royal photographer, as his dad Anwar Hussein took many famous photos of Princess Diana.
Anwar chronicled Princess Diana's journey from "Shy Di" in 1980 to the confident icon she became before her tragic death in 1997 at age 36. Last year, he opened up to PEOPLE as 140 of his images appeared in the Princess Diana Exhibition: Accredited Access.
"The story of Diana unfolded in front of us," Anward told PEOPLE in January 2022. “I saw every side of Diana. She was a genuine, good human being."
"You could see her go from Shy Di, looking down, to becoming stronger — which she had to do. She wanted to prove she was brave enough to do what she wanted," he added of Diana's 17 years in the public eye.
The display also featured work by his sons Samir and Zak, who have carved their own creative career paths by capturing the lives of Prince William and Prince Harry.
David Crane/MediaNews Group/Los Angeles Daily News via Getty
Anwar Hussein at the Princess Diana exhibit in Santa Monica, California in December 2021.For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!
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