Harry and Meghan's photographer explains private 'meadow' snap amid edit claims

14 March 2024 , 10:53

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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's photographer explains private 'meadow' snap amid photoshopping claims

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's photographer behind their garden pregnancy announcement has explained the image after allegations it had been heavily edited or photoshopped.

Misan Harriman, an Oscar-nominated film director and photographer who captured the couple's pregnancy announcement in 2021, was reported to have admitted editing a picture Meghan and Harry shared to announce their pregnancy news with Lillibet. The image showed Harry and Meghan in black and white lying in their garden surrounded by trees as Meghan cradled her growing bump.

A previous interview from the photographer had been widely shared online, alongside claims that he had 'admitted' to editing the image.

READ MORE: Harry and Meghan break silence on Kate Middleton photo scandal with official statement

The couple's pregnancy announcement in 2021 has now been widely scrutinised with claims it was also edited before being released (The Duke and Duchess of Sussex ©)

Oscar-nominated film director and photographer Misan Harriman has slammed the claims that he edited and changed trees in the picture (Getty Images)

Appearing on the Private Passions podcast on BBC Radio 3, Harriman was asked by the host: "They weren’t actually under a willow tree, but they were lying outside in a meadow, weren’t they, Harry and Meghan, when you took the photograph of them?" In response he replied: "Hmm, yeah," before adding: "It really was a particularly joyous image to celebrate life itself." He then also said: "It's amazing what you can do with technology." However Harriman has now widely refuted the claims he edited or doctored the image.

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Speaking on X/ Twitter yesterday (March 13), Harriman addressed the claims that the image of the Sussexes was edited. He said on social media: "The original Jpeg without the black and white grade," alongside the original snap he shot of Harry and Meghan when they announced they were expecting a child. He added: "No trees or meadows were moved or swapped, this is the image straight out of camera. Also that is a Jacaranda Tree, not a willow tree."

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were pulled into the Photoshop scandal after a source close to the couple claimed it 'wasn't a mistake Meghan would make'

Following the claims, Meghan and Harry have also broken their silence on the photo-editing scandal, through a spokesperson. A source close to the Sussexes told Page Six previously: "If Harry and Meghan had ever encountered the same issue they would have been annihilated. The same rules do not apply to both couples. This isn’t a mistake that Meghan would ever make. She has a keen eye and freakish attention to detail." Yet now an official spokesperson from the Archewell Foundation has commented as they stressed the claims were not from the Duke and Duchess.

Speaking to Newsweek, a spokesperson said: "With respect to Page Six, that did not come from us." The outlet has also noted that the Page Six quotes might have come from "someone connected to the Sussexes, expressing a personal opinion, who was not officially authorised to speak on their behalf".

Niamh Spence