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Royal photographer reveals what it’s like to shoot Prince George, the Queen and ‘big hugger’ Prince Harry

Say cheese! The British Royal Family is captured day in and day out by photographers and royal watchers alike, and each member has their own set of strengths and challenges where capturing a striking photo is concerned. While royal photographer Chris Jackson has been there for many major moments, he recently revealed to Huffpost UK that it’s not the easiest job.

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The Queen, one of the most photographed women in the world, doesn’t often crack a smile, which can make Chris’s task a tough one. The 38-year-old – who is happily married to Duchess Kate’s stylist Natasha Archer – opened up about the job: “She’s not always smiling. In fact, you can go a whole event where she’s not smiling. She doesn’t always make it easy for you, but I like that!”

What Chris refers to as the money shot, when it comes to Queen Elizabeth II, is hard to come by. However, it’s a challenge this photographer is willing to accept. When the Queen paid a visit to Hyde Park Barracks in October of last year, wearing a stunning powder blue ensemble, she looked up at a horse and showed off her megawatt pearly whites!

TAP FOR GALLERYThe Queen smiles happily up at one of her horses in Hyde Park

But while the Queen maintains her strict composure, Prince Harry simply can’t hold back his affection for his fans! This makes it equally tricky for Chris to get a winning shot of the prince, who recently became engaged to Meghan Markle. “He’s a big hugger, wherever he goes,” the photographer shared. “You have to be quick off the draw to capture those.”

With their lack of awareness where convention and protocol are concerned, young royals offer the opportunity to secure delightfully candid snaps, and Chris revealed that Prince George is a great source for these kinds of moments.

Prince Harry hugs an excited fan in Sydney ahead of the 2018 Invictus Games

Since Chris has been photographing the royal family for nearly 14 years, he was also the one to get the beautiful shot of Kate and Prince William leaving Westminster Abbey right after they said “I do.” It took weeks of planning and hours of nervous excitement, and we’re sure Chris will be able to snag a similarly stunning photo when Meghan and Harry exchange vows on May 19.