Royal Photographer Reveals One Thing People Would've 'Never Seen' During Elizabeth's Reign
Chris Jackson talks about a special capture from King Charles and Queen Camilla's coronation.
The year was 1953, and the UK was about to witness the televised coronation of its longest-reigning monarch, Queen Elizabeth. It had never been done before. In fact, cameras had never even been allowed inside Westminster Abbey before this. It was an astonishing break in tradition. It was a moment etched in history.
Queen Elizabeth’s coronation became a symbolic rise of the new guard. The ushering in of a modern era. And perhaps, a prelude to an age that would see the royal family evolve with the ever-changing times. For years, the royal family seemed aloof, closed off from the very people they were governing. But the televised coronation was a clear signal: the walls were coming down.
After Queen Elizabeth passed away in 2022, the reins of the family went to King Charles, who is known to be a strong advocate for modernization and patiently waited for his reign to do the same. It was expected that he would do things differently. He had been an environmentalist, working towards inclusion, and has since been outspoken about his health and cancer diagnosis, which was alarmingly uncommon earlier. However, the first signs of his new approach became apparent during his coronation in 2023.
Long-time royal photographer Chris Jackson talked about a behind-the-scenes picture he had taken of Charles and Queen Camilla on the day of their coronation. In a chat with HELLO!, he said, “There were some nerves, I won't lie. But when I saw it on the back of the camera and realized I'd got something, it was such a buzz."
The behind-the-scenes he had captured was of the King and Queen standing on the balcony of Buckingham Palace, an unsurprising venue for the monarchy's most iconic moments. Draped in their royal attire, the couple looked over to the thousands of people gathered within and outside the palace grounds. What was different was that Jackson had taken the stunning shot of the two from behind them, probably from the balcony entrance, as he framed the monarchs between two massive pillars and the crowds in the background. "Nothing prepares you for the actual moment on the day. It was a once-in-a-lifetime moment, and I'll never forget the roar from the crowd," he said.
In many ways, the picture is just as monumental as Queen Elizabeth’s televised coronation. Not because it is far more accessible, thanks to the internet, or because the picture quality is much better. But because standing on the balcony of Buckingham Palace is, in its very essence, a private moment between the monarchs and their subjects. And the photo offers a behind-the-scenes angle to that special moment, giving it a certain kind of intimacy. And as Jackson admittedly said, taking a photo like that, from that 'position,' would have never been possible before.
“I took it from a position that we would never have seen during Queen Elizabeth II's reign, so it's a good example of how the King and Queen are doing things slightly differently in their era,” he said. He further explained why he had an inclination for behind-the-scenes photos. “I really love photographing those behind-the-scenes moments. You get to see inside people's characters, behind the pomp and the ceremony.”
