She wasn’t behind the camera, but the Princess of Wales was instrumental in shooting the official portraits from King Charles’s Coronation.
Photographer Hugo Burnand, who has long been trusted to capture royal milestones, has revealed that Catherine’s creative input during her own wedding to Prince William in 2011 influenced his approach to capturing the 2023 Coronation.
Reflecting on his decision to use Buckingham Palace’s architecture as a feature of the Coronation images – rather than hiding it behind heavy curtains – Hugo says: ‘It was, interestingly, Princess of Wales, Catherine Middleton, who brought that idea to the table with me – when we were photographing her wedding to Prince William.
‘Every single royal wedding photograph to date had been photographed on the steps where the thrones are, with a heavy, dark, velvet curtain behind them. It’s so unimaginative, and it’s so dull. We agreed to bring them into the middle of the room and then light them – and light the room – as if it was a beautiful spring morning.’
Hugo says he applied that exact same natural-feeling aesthetic to the Coronation portraits. ‘Because technology is now brilliant on lighting and exposures and cameras, I was able to take photographs during the Coronation where I was able to actually make the throne room almost look like it was a backdrop,’ he adds on his podcast, Double Exposure. ‘[The light] was 100 per cent artificial – but it looks like a spring morning.’
Hugo Burnand says his decision to use Buckingham Palace’s architecture as a feature of the Coronation images was thanks to the Princess of Wales
‘I was able to take photographs during the Coronation where I was able to actually make the throne room almost look like it was a backdrop,’ says Hugo
A patron of the Royal Photographic Society, Catherine’s own portraits of her children have been widely praised, and her 2020 Hold Still pandemic photography project with the National Portrait Gallery was a national hit.
Last year, the princess apologised ‘for any confusion’ after she edited a Mothering Sunday photograph of her and her children.
Her statement came after five photographic agencies retracted it over editing concerns. ‘Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing,’ she later explained.
Princess Beatrice and Edo Mapelli Mozzi pose at a book launch in April 2024
Bea’s Edo makes his jetaway
Prince Harry and Meghan tend to use pals’ private jets to fly to Katy Perry concerts in Las Vegas or hols in the Caribbean.
If the eco campaigners can ever afford their own plane, they can ask Harry’s cousin to design the interior.
For Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, who has two daughters with Princess Beatrice, has started fitting out private jets.
‘It’s escapism,’ the interior designer, 41, explains of their appeal. ‘When you’re in the air there are no people constantly asking you questions or children hanging off you.’
The smart set’s talking about… High-level upheavals that leave English Heritage adrift
More turmoil at English Heritage, which only last month lost its chief executive Nick Merriman, who resigned to the relief of some staff angered by cost-cutting under his watch.
Now, it has emerged that the charity’s chairman, Gerard Lemos, is also leaving, to the fury of staff who describe it as a rudderless ship.
An email sent to staff, and leaked to me, states that Labour peer Lord Lemos has been appointed as a government whip and is obliged to step down from all his chairmanship roles. ‘As chair, Gerard moved English Heritage into a position of strength,’ the email claims, listing his achievements.
One insider tells me: ‘By strength, they mean perilous finances, rock-bottom staff morale and a loss of expertise.’
The charity cares for sites across England, including Stonehenge and parts of Hadrian’s Wall.
‘Of course, we appreciate that the news of Gerard’s departure so soon after Nick Merriman’s will be unsettling for some,’ the email admits. ‘But English Heritage’s priorities for this year remain unchanged.’
Rita costume change brings a sense of Ora
Rita Ora underwent a quick change from demure to racy at a charity event on the French Riviera.
One minute, the Hot Right Now singer, 34, was wearing an elegant silk, off-shoulder black dress as she made small talk with fashion designer Georgina Chapman, 49, at the Summer Gala by Gala One in Saint-Tropez.
The next, Londoner Rita, who wed Kiwi film-maker Taika Waititi in 2022, slipped into a white silk playsuit for her performance in front of guests including Hollywood star Leonardo DiCaprio.
Rita Ora and Georgina Chapman at the event, before the singer slipped into a white bodysuit to perform
Violet’s confetti ban
Is confetti going out of fashion in high society? I ask only because it was banned at Lady Violet Manners’ recent wedding. The Duke of Rutland’s 31-year-old daughter exchanged vows with William Garnock, 34, a Scottish viscount, in Leicestershire near her family’s ancestral home, Belvoir Castle.
‘We didn’t do the traditional post-ceremony confetti tunnel,’ she says. ‘William was firm on this: “I’m not walking out of a church twice just to be pelted with petals.” And, honestly, I couldn’t agree more. We exited once, as husband and wife. William didn’t want his friends waiting in the sunshine without a drink to then throw flowers in his face.’
He’s one of the BBC’s top earners – pocketing more than £2 million last year – but not even Graham Norton is immune to the agonies of air travel. He travels business class, but says of the premium service: ‘Often there is no fast track. It’s written on your ticket… You’re going, where is the fast track? And they just go, that melee! That horrible mess of humanity. That’s what you’ve got.’
Poor lamb!
He’s one of the shortest-serving Time Lords, but the role has still helped Ncuti Gatwa amass assets of almost £2.5million. Accounts for the company he uses to channel his assets, Gemini Moon, show that it had £1.1 million held in cash last year, is owed a further £1.1 million, and has investments of £280,000. After paying creditors the Scotsman’s fortune now stands at £2.1million, up a healthy £500,000 on the previous year.
Ncuti, 32, stepped down from Doctor Who last month after two series and 19 episodes. Only Christopher Ecclestone appeared fewer times – just 13 episodes. One might almost say it’s a lot of money for a junior Doctor…
(Very) modern manners
No one knows the dangers of WhatsApp group chats better than TV presenter and author Dawn O’Porter.
She’s revealed an excruciating mix-up when she was trying to conceive a child with her actor husband, the Bridesmaids and IT Crowd star Chris O’Dowd. ‘I had an office up the street [when] we were living in LA – I did an ovulation test at work,’ she says. ‘I texted Chris to say, “I’m ovulating – meet you at home in ten minutes”. But I sent it to my friend group. On my way home, I see my friend Johnny and he’s, like, “Good luck”.’
Dawn O’Porter revealed an excruciating WhatsApp group blunder she made when she was trying to conceive with husband Chris O’Dowd
He’s best known for walking the Nile and crossing the Caucasus on foot – but now explorer Levison Wood is launching a new battle, against the literary establishment.
The former Army officer, 43, who served in Afghanistan with Prince Harry and has authored 12 books, claims he’s overlooked for literary recognition due to his profile as a TV presenter.
‘One of the more frustrating parts of what I do is being passed over for things – like literary awards – because I’m “that bloke off the telly”,’ he fumes. ‘I’ve literally had a judge say to my face that they assumed I couldn’t write my own books. That I couldn’t possibly know anything about nature or conservation because I’ve got a TV series.’
Cheeky Kirby steals dead ringer Comer’s plaudits… 
Vanessa Kirby found herself mistaken for Jodie Comer… and went along with it!
Vanessa Kirby, who played Princess Margaret in The Crown, has revealed that she is often mistaken for fellow blonde actress Jodie Comer – and once pretended to be her when a fan muddled them up.
‘I was thrilled,’ admits Kirby, 37. ‘I went along with it for a while.’ The admirer praised her – or, rather, Killing Eve star Jodie’s – performance in the Olivier Award-winning play, Prima Facie.
‘They said, “You were so good in your one-woman show,” and I went, “Oh, my God, thank you so much”.’
Too much sun? Model is cool as a cucumber 
Model Paul Sculfor swaddled himself in cucumber ribbons after a little too much sun
Once the smouldering face of Valentino and Versace, Paul Sculfor has traded couture for cucumbers.
After a little too much sun on holiday, the model, 54, posted a photograph of himself swaddled in cucumber ribbons – much like a health-conscious snack.
‘When you get too much sun… all you need is cucumber,’ he jokes online, tagging his Italian-born wife, the nutritionist Dr Federica Amati, who presumably endorsed the hydrating hack.
Sculfor, who once courted Jennifer Aniston and Cameron Diaz, now swears by garden-fresh TLC.
Who needs La Mer when you’ve got a mandoline slicer and a Mediterranean wife?