When it comes to photographing once-in-a-lifetime moments, most would assume it takes a lot of luck, but retired photographer John Stillwell shared that there’s a lot of preparation that goes into getting a picture of, say, the famous balcony kiss at a royal wedding.
Royal photographer John Stillwell spent a month watching TV to practice for the balcony kiss
Stillwell is a retired Press Association photographer who took pictures of the royal family for years. All his experience photographing the royals meant he knew exactly what it took to get the perfect shot.
During an appearance on the HELLO! A Right Royal Podcast, Stillwell revealed the lengths he went to in order to get a picture of Prince William and Kate Middleton’s famous kiss on the balcony of Buckingham Palace following their 2011 nuptials.
“For the month leading up to the wedding, I spent every night indoors, just staring at the telly. My wife said to me, ‘What are you doing?’ I said, ‘I’m practicing not missing the shot,’” Stillwell laughed.
The photographer said he was even “losing sleep” thinking about the possibility of missing the shot, reminding himself, “If anyone says anything to you, don’t look away [from the balcony]. Don’t change lanes. Have it all set up.”
John Stillwell got the picture of Prince William and Kate Middleton kissing — it even ended up on the cover of ‘TIME’
When the big day came, Stillwell was “really close in the front” and said he could see the couple talking to each other, saying “something like ‘Shall we do it?’” The Prince and Princess of Wales kissed and Stillwell got the shot. However, he missed their second kiss, as he was too busy “trying to put the [first] picture on my laptop” and send it to his office.
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Stillwell’s hilarious practice routine and dedication to getting the picture of William and Kate kissing paid off — his shot of the royal couple locking lips on the balcony ended up making the cover of TIME magazine.
The tradition of the balcony kiss started with King Charles and Princess Diana’s 1981 wedding
William and Kate are far from the only royals who have kissed on the balcony of Buckingham Palace. The now-famous tradition began with King Charles and Princess Diana’s 1981 ceremony.
The couple appeared on the balcony along with other members of the royal family to wave to the adoring crowds. People began calling for them to kiss and, shocking many, they did. It was a break from royal protocol that has now become an integral part of royal wedding celebrations.
In 1986, Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson tied the knot and appeared on the balcony. The Duchess of York played to the crowd, joking that she couldn’t hear their calls for a kiss before she and Andrew locked lips.
William and Kate also continued the tradition with their own embrace at the palace. His brother, Prince Harry, and his wife, Meghan Markle, did not get to kiss on the balcony, but that was because they got married at Windsor’s St. George’s Chapel instead of London’s Westminster Abbey.
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