By now, readers are aware that I know a lot about the British royal family. Like, borderline-irritating/way-past-the-point-of-obsession a lot.
Like most writers, I covered the April 2011 wedding of HRH Prince William to Miss Catherine Middleton. I made so many different royal galleries at the time that I must have searched Getty Images's massive library of photos at least two dozen times.
Six and a half years later, I thought I had uncovered every possible image of the royal wedding, from a weirdly angled shot of the newlyweds exiting Westminster Abbey to Catherine's unforgettable wave to fans before walking down the aisle.
You can imagine my surprise when I stumbled upon a photo so fantastic that I could not believe I had never seen it before.
The photo, taken by photographer Andrew Winning, captures Prince Harry gallantly fixing his sister-in-law's 9-ft. dress train at Buckingham Palace.
I emailed Winning, who is now head of Pictures Desk at Thomson Reuters. I was fascinated by this intimate moment he captured between a man and his new sister-in-law.
"It was a spontaneous gesture by Harry who had helped Kate descend from the carriage as they arrived for the wedding reception after being driven down the Mall past thousands of well-wishers," Winning told me.
Before the royal party arrived at Buckingham, the photographer didn't anticipate taking any photo that rivaled those from the ceremony.
Then he saw his opportunity.
"Harry’s initiative and instinct to look after his new sister-in-law gave the moment of their arrival a tender and human element."
The moment itself is a testament to how kind and considerate Harry is that he would help Catherine with her Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen dress. It's also a reflection of their relationship; Harry called Catherine "the sister" he never had after her engagement to his big brother was announced, and he reportedly heads over to the couple's apartment at Kensington Palace (where he also has a two-bedroom cottage) for dinner.
Damn it, this photo is gold.
