Portrait of Camilla taken by Kate wins prize at media awards
A
portrait of a smiling Queen Camilla taken by her daughter-in-law the Princess of Wales has received a prize.
The picture of Camilla sporting a blue and white floral gown and cardigan, sitting on a bench with a trug crammed with pelargoniums within the gardens of Raymill, her Wiltshire retreat, has received cowl of the yr within the PPA Awards.
It appeared on the entrance of a particular royal version of Country Life and conserving the id of Kate because the royal photographer behind the quilt shot “totally secret” was “challenging”, in line with the journal’s managing editor Paula Lester.
Camilla had commissioned the {photograph} to mark her seventy fifth birthday final yr and whereas she was the visitor editor of the journal.
The PPA award judges mentioned: “This cover was crucial in setting the tone and becoming the centrepiece for what became the fastest-selling issue in Country Life’s history.”
It was the primary time her formal portrait had been taken by Kate, who was then duchess of Cambridge, whereas Camilla was nonetheless duchess of Cornwall.
Ms Lester mentioned: “When Country Life’s editor Mark Hedges and I sat down with the Duchess of Cornwall to discuss the issue that she’d be guest-editing to mark her 75th birthday, we had no idea who she wanted to take the cover shot.
“The duchess said: ‘Yes, I’m thinking of asking Catherine’.
“Mark and I glanced at each other quizzically trying to think of a famous photographer called Catherine as she clarified: ‘Catherine Wales’.
“‘Ah’, we said in unison, with Mark adding: ‘Yes, Your Royal Highness, I think we can work with that’.
“It was kept totally secret, which was challenging. One day I received a message while at the hairdressers that the Duchess of Cambridge was about to call to discuss the shoot.
“‘Hello, Paula — it’s Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge here’, she said. ‘I’m calling to ask what sort of images you are looking for on the front cover of the Duchess of Cornwall’s special edition of Country Life’.
“I explained that we were after an informal portrait of the duchess, that showed her personality and kind, empathetic nature, as opposed to a posed formal shot.
“The duchess said she would do her very best but implored me to let her know if the images were not suitable.”
Mr Hedges mentioned: “The Princess of Wales took a set of wonderful images and it was difficult to choose the best.
“The royal editor had the final word and chose the picture The King liked best when he joined our final page-proof meeting.
“The award is an amazing accolade for what was already our most successful issue ever. The picture was used worldwide and continues to appear, and will take its place in royal photographic history.”
The PPA Awards recognise achievement throughout the UK specialist media business.