A photo of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle is officially part of the the world's largest portrait collection.
On Thursday, May 23, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's frequent photographer and close friend Misan Harriman posted a slew of celebratory pictures and video on his personal Instagram account, announcing that a photograph he took of the couple is being added to the famed National Portrait Gallery's photograph collection.
"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," Harriman captured the post, which featured snapshots of the photographer with his now-famous photograph as well as the black-and-white photo itself.
In the portrait, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle stand side-by-side, holding hands as they look forward and prepare to take the stage at the One Young World Summit in Manchester, England, on Sept. 5, 2022.
The photo was taken just three days before Prince Harry's late mother, Queen Elizabeth, passed away.
At the time the photo was taken, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex had already stepped away from their roles as senior royals and relocated from the U.K. to California in the wake of continued threats and security concerns.
The pair had returned to the U.K. to attend the One Young World Summit in Manchester. After Queen Elizabeth died, the royal couple remained in England to attend the late monarch and royal family matriarch's funeral events.
According to a spokesperson for the National Portrait Gallery who spoke to People, there are no "immediate plans to display the image of Prince Harry and Meghan." Instead, the spokesperson added, the photograph will go through the gallery's cataloging process before it becomes available.
Harriman has captured many of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's most memorable milestones, including in 2021 when the pair announced they were expecting their second child, Princess Lilibet, as well as their daughter's very first birthday.
In February, the photographer told People that Markle "is really as a sister to me."
"I've been very lucky to photograph many special moments with her and her husband and her family,” he added.
Recently, Harriman accompanied the royal couple on their three-day trip to Nigeria. The photographer shared a series of photos of their trip on his Instagram page, including their visit to the Nigerian Armed Forces’ Defence Headquarters in Abuja, Nigeria and a portrait of Markle posing alongside Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Director-general of the World Trade Organization.
"It was such a pleasure to observe and capture the amazing bond and friendship that they have with each other," Harriman captioned the post.
