A photo of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle has been added to the National Portrait Gallery’s permanent collection.
The portrait of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex holding hands was taken after the couple stepped back from royal duties.
Harry and Meghan’s friend, Misan Harriman, took the photograph of them at the One Young World Summit in Manchester in 2022.
Harriman announced the news on social media stating: “I am humbled and proud to announce that my portrait of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex is now part of the permanent collection of the National Portrait Gallery.”
The Princess of Wales has been the patron of the National Portrait Gallery since 2012.
As patron, Princess Kate would not have a say in what portraits are added to the gallery’s collection.
In June 2023, the princess undertook her first solo public engagement opening the Lucian Freud Portraits exhibition at the gallery after a three-year refurbishment programme.
The picture, taken in black and white, shows the duke and duchess holding hands and looking into the distance as they prepare to take the stage at the charity summit in Manchester.
In a statement, the National Portrait Gallery said: “We are delighted to confirm that Misan Harriman’s portrait of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex is now part of our photographs collection.
“There are currently no immediate plans to display the work and, as it has just been delivered, it will need to go through our cataloguing process before it is available on our website.”
The National Portrait Gallery houses one of the world’s greatest collections of portraits of historically important and famous British people.
Harriman is the couple’s favoured photographer and accompanied them on their tour of Nigeria, the photographer's birthplace.
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The social photographer is also the first black man to shoot a cover of British Vogue in the magazine’s 104-year history.
He was also chosen to remotely direct the photo shoot for the Harry and Meghan's pregnancy announcement for their second child, Princess Lilibet.
Speaking to Vogue about the experience he said: “With the tree of life behind them and the garden representing fertility, life and moving forward, they didn’t need any direction, because they are, and always have been, waltzing through life together as absolute soulmates.
“When you see people who have the connection that they have, it’s like reading the pages of a book.”
