Meet Nigerian-born Celebrity Photographer, Misan Harriman, Behind the New ‘Power’ Portraits of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle

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Nigerian-born celebrity photographer and director of the Southbank Centre, Misan Harriman, shot to fame for his pictures of Black Lives Matter protests in London.

A long-time friend of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, he also takes some credit for helping the royal couple meet.

Harriman once said, “Meg reminded me that had I not introduced her to a mutual friend then she wouldn’t have met Harry. I’m grateful for whatever small part I played.” 

The 45-year-old, who lives in Surrey, met Meghan years ago at a charity event and attended her wedding to Prince Harry at Windsor Castle in May 2018. 

He has previously taken photos of other royals, capturing Princess Beatrice’s official engagement photo with her then-fiancé Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi.

He was the first black male photographer to shoot a British Vogue cover and the first to shoot its September issue in its 105-year history. 

The activist-themed cover in 2020 featured England footballer Marcus Rashford and model Adwoa Aboah, with Mr Harriman working with a predominantly black team on set.

A year before, Meghan guest edited the September issue, which is traditionally the fashion bible’s most important of the year. Harriman’s work has also featured in Vanity Fair, GQ, Harpers Bazaar and People.

He has also pictured Tom Cruise, Julia Roberts, Cate Blanchett and Olivia Colman, Rihanna, Stormzy and Giorgio Armani.

He is a self-described activist supporting diversity and inclusion in the workplace, as well as a mental health campaigner with an interest in dyslexia.

The photographer has also covered demonstrations against former US President Donald Trump, and protests by Extinction Rebellion and Black Lives Matter in London.

He was predictably behind the new portraits of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, which attempted to make them look a ‘power couple’ amid turmoil in the Royal Family.

The photos were believed to have been deliberately released soon after Buckingham Palace published an image of the new ‘Fab Four’: King Charles, Queen Consort Camilla and the Prince and Princess of Wales.

The couple are shown attending the One Young World summit for youth leaders in Manchester last month. The first image shows Meghan in a red blouse and matching trousers with a chunky gold ring and earrings. The duchess stands face on, looking into the camera and holding one of Harry’s fingers. The duke stands behind her at an angle, smiling in a smart black suit and tie.

The stance is reminiscent of the couple’s 2021 Time magazine photo shoot, in which Meghan stood in the centre and Harry stood at an angle behind her with a hand resting on her shoulder.

In the second image, taken ‘just moments’ before the opening ceremony of the summit, the couple are standing next to one each other, side-on to the camera, holding hands and looking out at the audience.

In a trend repeated in many pictures released by the couple, Harry is behind Meghan in a show of ‘support’. The Duchess is dressed and poses like a CEO – and her husband looks ‘dour’ behind her amid tensions with his family.

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