Prince William and Kate Middleton posed for some unconventional royal pictures to mark their milestone 10th wedding anniversary in April this year. The Duke and the Duchess of Cambridge, who usually refrain from even holding hands in public, cuddled with broad smiles on their faces as they posed for a candid portrait while sitting on a log, and another of William gazing at his wife.
Royal photographer Chris Floyd, who captured the moments, recently spoke to Us Weekly about the photo session and said that the couple were behaving just like any other married couple.
"They were just like any married couple who seemed to just love being very happy in each other's company. It was that straightforward," Floyd said.
Recalling the process behind the pictures, Floyd said he asked the royal couple to pretend that they were alone. He said, "I just said, 'Look, this is your 10th anniversary, just be the couple that you are with each other and forget that I'm here. 'And just forget about me.' They don't need me to tell them how to be with each other."
He also said that clicking the couple at their home in the gardens of Kensington Palace helped him capture the essence of their relationship. "It was their home and I was made to feel welcome in their home. ... I have to say like by the time I left that day I felt like I'd known them for years. It was just a real whirlwind of a day," he noted.
The photographer said that the day also felt like a "normal shoot day" and was like "going to anyone else's" house. He added, "I mean it's not like anyone else's house, but it was the same as going to someone else's house. It was just a slightly grander version of most houses."
William and Kate had shared the portraits and a family video on their social media accounts, while thanking their well-wishers for the "10 years of support" they have received in their marriage.