Welcome to the Kate show, eh? Drawing a crowd better suited to rock stars, Their Royal Highnesses the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge arrived in Canada to thousands of adoring fans and a profusion of international press. Christopher Wahl captures their visit in this exclusive photo essay of dispatches from the royal tour. Check back for more of Wahl’s exclusive photographs throughout the trip.
VF.com’s favored royal-tour photographer—the inimitable Christopher Wahl, who shot the duke and duchess exclusively for us over the pair’s 11-day journey—had one heck of a time in Canada and Los Angeles. He even got an Oscar for his efforts. (Sort of.) We asked Wahl all about his adventures abroad—including what Princess Catherine looks like up close, and the details on her, er, Marilyn moment. Highlights from our chat:
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VF.com: Tell us the story of how you met the royal couple.
Christopher Wahl: There was a media reception [on Prince Edward Island]. A select group of about 150 people were chosen for an off-the-record meet and greet with the duke and duchess. Oysters, beer, and lobster rolls were the provided fare. They are both very tall—he has beautiful skin. He must bathe in La Mer.
It was a pleasure meeting them—they were very cordial and took the time to chat. Impressive.
Indulge us a little. Tell us about Catherine’s beauty in real life.
She’s a bit of a babe in real life. I couldn’t take my eyes off her eyebrows.
As someone who’s photographed other royals before, what was different about them? In your opinion, do they successfully “youthen” or “update” the image of the royal family?
I have covered royal tours before, but this one had the security presence of President Obama. Really. It’s hard to tell if there really is a renewed interest in a revived monarchy, or just more of a celebrity obsession.
Which city was your favorite along the way?
My favorite city was Yellowknife. The hotel was awful, food was super-expensive, but the scenery was remarkable. We were in the middle of nowhere, just trees and lakes—no grass. It is too far north to grow, even in the summer. They say it gets too cold to snow in the winter. It just becomes one big block of ice, and the summer brings 24 hours of daylight, which is something to be seen.
The Marilyn moment, when the wind got the better of Kate’s skirt in Calgary: Did you feel awkward about it? What was the buzz about it among the other photographers?
You knew her dress was blowing around… I surely did not want to embarrass (no pun intended) the future queen. But I was there to record events, and it happened. All the Brit photogs were abuzz—the Queen supposedly wears weights in the bottom of her dress to prevent this from happening.
What’s the vibe among the traveling corps of photographers? Were you all exhausted?
The press corps that covers the royals are a tight bunch, and all of them are rather competitive amongst each other. Not everyone gets along, but some are good mates, as they say. I know a handful from previous tours and made some new friends this tour. At the end of the trip, my new mate from Reuters bought parting gifts—plastic Oscars from Hollywood Boulevard. One dude got best grandpa, I got a pair of socks. I don’t wear socks; I wear summer suits, but not socks. Needless to say, when covering royals, you dress the part. I wore a suit every day, but never socks. Anyhoo, the Brits like to “take the piss,” as they say, and receiving the socks was a pleasure.
