A royal expert has warned the Duke and Duchess of Sussex they risk leaving fans ‘jaded’ if they only release artfully posed shots.
Meghan, 37, and Harry, 34, have plumped for black and white pictures on a number of important occasions, including Archie’s christening photographs, official engagement shoot and their first Christmas card.
Today the new parents chose a black and white family photo to celebrate Archie’s christening, sharing a photograph posing alongside baby Archie in Windsor Castle gardens.
However, Ingrid Seward, editor-in-chief of Majesty Magazine, said she felt that people were becoming a ‘bit jaded’ by ‘stylized’ pictures of the newest royal.
The Duchess of Sussex is putting her own stamp on royal photos by releasing them in black and white, an expert explained. Harry and Meghan released this beautiful black and white family photo to celebrate their son’s christening
Meghan and Harry released two photographs to mark their son Archie Harrison Mountbatten Windsor’s christening today, and shared them on Instagram with their near 9 million followers.
While one was a more traditional family portrait of the family, including Prince Charles, Prince William and Kate and Meghan’s mother Doria, the other was a highly stylizied black and white picture.
It saw Meghan and Harry posing in the grounds of Windsor Castle, with the Rose Garden visible in the background.
Meghan appears to be watching her adored husband, who is gazing lovingly down at their sleeping son.
Harry and Meghan also opted to have black and white photos on their wedding day, later choosing this one of them standing with their backs to the camera as their first Christmas card
While the picture may have pleased some fans, experts have warned that the arty pictures risk leaving followers fed up.
Ingrid explained: ‘I think what people want and what people are used to seeing are lovely family images of the baby in the royal Honiton lace christening gown.
‘They won’t want an arty Instagram shot of Archie’s foot three days later if it’s left up to the couple themselves to take pictures and release them,’ she said, referring to a Mother’s Day shot issued by the couple of their son on social media.
‘The pictures they issue are so stylised. People just want to see Harry, Meghan, the baby and the gown and the godparents, that’s all. It’s traditional. But there’s nothing wrong with a bit of traditional when it comes to a royal baby,’ Ingrid Seward added.
She continued: ‘I think this is quite Harry-led and it is putting Meghan in a very difficult position.’
The Duchess of Sussex is putting her own stamp on royal photos by releasing them in black and white, an expert explained. Harry and Meghan released this beautiful black and white family photo to announce their son’s name on Instagram
‘She’s the one getting all the flak as a newcomer to the Royal Family. I assume Harry and Meghan don’t know where they are going wrong and think the criticism is all so very unfair.
‘But why wouldn’t they want the world to see their baby? I don’t think it is any skin off their nose.’
Speaking to Femail, photographer Glenn Gratton said Meghan is ‘image conscious’ and would have carefully thought through which photos to release of her son to make the best impression.
He added black and white is ‘in vogue’ and is a way for the royal mother to distance her photos from the high contrast, filtered photos that flood social media feeds.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex released two more black and white photos taken at the photocall at Windsor Castle earlier in the day, including the one above
He said: ‘Meghan’s very image conscious, she wants to make an impression. She would have put a lot of thought into the photos yesterday.
‘It’s the first the picture of the baby and that’s going to be Googled for years and she wants to make sure it’s right. She would have thought it all through, long and hard.’
Mr Gratton suggested the Duchess of Sussex is perhaps more image conscious than other royals because she draws more attention than other members of the family.
‘She’s very cautious about what she puts out there,’ he added. ‘And she has done well.’
The proud parents have released black and white photos to mark a number of important occasions, including their son Archie’s first public appearance yesterday, pictured
Mr Gratton, who shoots black and white photos on a Leica Monochrom camera, explained that while black and white photos are far from new, they are ‘very much in vogue’ and are becoming increasingly popular.
He continued: ‘It is very complimentary on skin tones – take someone who is red-headed, or pale skinned – it is flattering for them. It just looks beautiful. It’s very forgiving.’
The photographer added Meghan could also be wishing to distance herself from the ‘high contrast, Instagram filtered images’ that dominate social media.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex made a statement when they released two of the three official engagement photos in black and white.
The Duchess of Sussex showed she is personally a fan of black and white snaps when she shared a monochrome photo of husband Prince Harry rehearsing for an Invictus Games speech during the royal tour last autumn, pictured. It was later shared on Instagram
The snaps, taken by Alexi Lubomirski, captured the couple looking loved-up in the grounds near their now-home Frogmore Cottage, in Windsor.
Harry and Meghan also opted to have some black and white photos on their wedding day, later choosing one of them standing with their backs to the camera as their first Christmas card.
Social media has proved an excellent platform for the couple to showcase their personal take on photography.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex made a statement when they released two of the three official engagement photos in black and white, including the one above
The first post on their Sussex Royal account was a gallery culminating in a previously unseen black and white snap on their royal tour of Australia, New Zealand, Tonga and Fiji.
They have since shared monochrome snaps to highlight their work and charitable causes.
The Duchess of Sussex showed she is personally a fan of black and white snaps when she shared a monochrome photo of husband Prince Harry rehearsing for an Invictus Games speech during the royal tour last autumn.