Inside Camilla Parker Bowles Magazine Cover Photoshoot With Kate Middleton

TL; DR:

  • Kate Middleton photographed Camilla Parker Bowles for the cover of Country Life magazine’s July 13 issue.
  • Camilla Parker Bowles suggested Kate Middleton take her picture.
  • Kate Middleton, according to the magazine’s editor, made Camilla Parker Bowles “relaxed”.

Kate Middleton and Camilla Parker Bowles have teamed up for a magazine photoshoot. The Duchess of Cambridge, a well-known photography lover, took the Duchess of Cornwall’s portrait for the cover of Country Life magazine. And the magazine’s editor has shared details about Kate and Camilla’s photo shoot.

Camilla Parker Bowles suggested Kate Middleton take her photo for the magazine cover

Camilla Parker Bowles and Kate Middleton | Samir Hussein/WireImage

To mark her birthday on July 17, Camilla edited the July 13 issue of Country Life magazine. And according to The Telegraph (via Newsweek), she had the idea to ask Kate to take her portrait.

However, when she suggested “Catherine” take the cover image, it briefly intrigued the magazine’s editor, Mark Hedges.

“She was immediately like, ‘Oh, I wish Catherine would,'” Hedges said. “I spent the next three or four minutes desperately racking my brains trying to think of a professional photographer named Catherine.”

“Then suddenly I understood what she meant,” Hedges explained, calling it “one of the most amazing things that can happen.”

“I found that to be one of the easiest things to accept,” he added.

Kate Middleton and Camilla Parker Bowles had a ‘relaxed’ photoshoot in the UK countryside

The Duchess of Cambridge is no stranger to family portraits. That, coupled with knowing Camilla, created an easygoing atmosphere.

“I don’t think anyone would have [Camilla] feeling so relaxed,” Hedges said of filming.

Kate, 40, snapped Camilla’s picture at Ray Mill House, where Camilla lived before she married Prince Charles. Today is a country retreat for Camilla away from Clarence House in London.

The Duchess of Cambridge took the picture of Camilla in the garden with a basket of cut flowers. And, as Hedges recalled, the sense of ease also carried over to hair and makeup.

“They didn’t care too much about hair and makeup,” he said. “They just bought flowers for the garden and moved on.”

Kate didn’t just take Camilla’s photo for the cover. Another snapshot from the same portrait session can be found in the pages of Country Life. According to Yahoo Life UK, Kate snapped another image of Camilla walking through the garden with forget-me-nots nearby.

The Duchess of Cambridge was ‘incredibly professional’ in photographing Camilla

Kate Middleton, who photographed Camilla Parker Bowles for the cover of Country Life, uses a camera

Kate Middleton | Eddie Mulholland – WPA Pool/Getty Images

Paula Lester, the magazine’s editor and managing editor, spoke about working with Kate. “The Duchess of Cambridge took her commission very seriously and was incredibly professional at the task at hand,” Lester said.

Yahoo Life UK.

“She phoned me to discuss our requirements for the cover and then put together a series of beautifully shot images,” she added, saying they “couldn’t be happier with the results.”

“In fact, the set of images she took were so good that we had a hard time choosing just three, from which the Duchess of Cornwall made her final selection,” Lester explained.

Plus, Kate’s days of photographing magazine covers may not be over. Hedges said he would happily reunite with her for another photo shoot.

“We are delighted that our guest editor is captured so beautifully by royal photographer the Duchess of Cambridge,” he said. “The photographs are superb and we would be delighted to offer another commission to the Duchess of Cambridge!”

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