There were plenty of nerves in St George’s Chapel on Prince Harry and Meghan’s wedding day.
The ceremony was watched by almost two billion viewers worldwide and hordes of well-wishers lined the streets of Windsor to catch a glimpse of the newlyweds.
But the Queen, known by those closest to her for her sharp wit, used humour as an attempt to defuse some of the nerves of the day.
The Sussexes enlisted photographer Alexi Lubomirski to return for the wedding day after taking their engagement photos.
To mark the couple’s seven-year wedding anniversary, he shared a video revealing behind-the-scenes details of the day on his TikTok page.
He admitted being anxious to impress the family and asked Harry for tips.
The prince reportedly told him: ‘My grandparents have taken so many pictures in their lives, it’s not their fun part. If you don’t get it quickly, they’re just going to move out.’
And Harry wasn’t wrong.
Prince Harry and Meghan on their wedding day at St George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle
The Queen – pictured with Prince Philip on the Sussexes’ wedding day – was known for her quick wit and dry sense of humour
Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth arrive for the wedding
Lubomirski prepared to have everything ready for them to arrive but, he explained, the late Queen and Philip arrived before the scene was set.
He recalled saying: ‘I’m terribly sorry your Majesty, we’re going to be about five minutes.’
Her dry response was: ‘It’s not me you need to worry about.’
She was, of course, referring to Philip.
Royal biographer Ingrid Seward once said the Queen was ‘a master of the understatement delivered in her best deadpan voice’.
Prince Philip has a long history of losing his temper while waiting for photographers, once even swearing on camera.
During the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Britain in 2015 Philip let slip a swear word during a photocall.
Sitting in the front row with other Second World War veterans, the then 94-year-old lost his patience as a photographer dithered.
Prince Philip had a long history of losing his temper while waiting for photographers, once even swearing on camera
The Sussexes enlisted photographer Alexi Lubomirski to return for the wedding day after taking their engagement photos
The official wedding photograph released by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex on their wedding day
Philip stares at the photographer before losing his temper and shouting: ‘Just take the f****** picture!’
William, standing in the row behind with the Earl and Countess of Wessex, smiled in response.
Last year, royal photographer Arthur Edwards told The Sun that working with Philip came with its challenges.
Arthur, who photographed the royals for nearly five decades, said: ‘Photographing the Queen for many years was an absolute joy.
‘Photographing Prince Philip for many years was not so good.
‘I mean, he had not a lot of time for the media, and he sort of treated us a bit like telegraph poles, you know, just walk around us.’
Samir Hussein, who photographed the duke for 15 years, said that Philip’s sense of humour was one of the main reasons why he enjoyed working with him.
During the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Britain in 2015 Philip swore in a photocall
Photographer Alexi Lubomirski and his wife arrive at St George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle for the wedding of Harry and Meghan
Royal biographer Ingrid Seward once said the Queen was ‘a master of the understatement delivered in her best deadpan voice’
The photographer described the royal as ‘a very witty man’ with a ‘sense of mischief.’
But the late Queen could also be impatient.
According to American photographer Annie Leibovitz, the monarch was not always a happy subject – which was documented in the BBC documentary ‘A Year with the Queen’.
In March 2007, Leibovitz had hoped to shoot the Queen at Windsor Castle astride one of her many horses.
Instead, she was offered 25 minutes at Buckingham Palace.
The Queen reportedly arrived late and was described as being ‘perturbed’, saying: ‘I don’t have much time.’
And it seems a lack of patience with photographers could run in the family.
In 2005, while on a skiing holiday in Switzerland with his sons William and Harry, Charles commented on the photographer without realising his microphone was live.
There were plenty of nerves on the wedding day, with even the photographer admitting he was anxious
Prince Edward and Prince Philip before the wedding ceremony in Windsor
Harry and Meghan leaving St George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle after their wedding
The late Queen and Philip leaving the event at Windsor Castle
He was heard muttering ‘Bloody people,’ ‘I hate doing this,’and commenting specifically on a BBC royal correspondent Nicholas Witchell, saying: ‘I can’t bear that man. He’s so awful, he really is.’
These comments became public and caused some consternation, with his press secretary later saying he regretted his remarks.
The photographer wasn’t the only person who was nervous on the Sussexes’ wedding day.
As soon as Harry entered St George’s Chapel on May 19, 2018, body language expert Judi James could tell he was riddled with nerves.
Harry ‘was so patently nervous’ that Ms James counted as he performed 12 self-touching body checks including wringing his hands, fiddling with his gloves and tugging at his blue doeskin frockcoat – all of which suggest extreme anxiety.
‘His lip-licking would normally suggest a dry mouth caused by the same,’ Ms James told Harper’s Bazaar.
Expert lip reader Terry Ruane also noticed Harry’s nerves ahead of the fairytale ceremony, when he was seen asking his brother and best man Prince William: ‘Is Meghan here?’
Philip is seen looking over at Meghan on her wedding day, with the Queen sitting next to him
The anxious groom quipped: ‘My hair is going to go grey’ as he waited for the bride to arrive
When Meghan thought the crowds were behind her and no one could see them anymore, she turned to Harry and seemingly said, ‘Oh f***!’ as she put her hand over her chest
The anxious groom later quipped: ‘My hair is going to go grey.’
But the nerves may have caught up to Meghan as soon as the couple’s horse-drawn carriage finished its climb up the Long Walk.
When she thought the crowds were behind her, Meghan turned to Harry and seemingly said, ‘Oh f***!’ as she put her hand over her chest.
But the moment was captured on camera for the public to see.
Even Prince Harry seemed overwhelmed with one lip reading expert suggesting he said, ‘I’m ready for a drink now’ as the carriage trundled to the lavish reception.
For a royal wedding of this scale, it is no wonder there were so many nerves on the big day.
But the late Queen, who was often seen as stoic and serious, proved that even royals can joke around and make light of a situation.
