The royal family’s photographer shares his favorite photos of Kate Middleton

“As a royal photographer, my goal is to create some kind of a response in the viewer, be it they smile, they laugh — and, sometimes, there’s a more poignant image,” Jackson told Insider. “These are kind of rarer images but, nevertheless, incredibly important.”

Jackson took the photo as Middleton was leaving the cemetery. He called it “one of the standout, slightly different images that I’ve taken with the Duchess of Cambridge.” “It’s actually a great lesson as well to keep watching until the end of the engagement because this was a lovely moment as the duchess was walking away and glanced over her shoulder,” he said.

“I just love the energy in this picture and the expression on her face,” he said. “I think there was an element of trepidation before she went over the top. “But as she abseiled down, she was clearly enjoying it. It’s a great example of how she does get stuck in and makes great photographs. It’s got real energy to it.”

“The duchess is emerging in some very typical British weather — I think it started drizzling,” he said. “So she’s got her umbrella out, but it’s slightly unusual, and I just love the expression on her face.” Jackson says some of the best royal photos happen when the weather is less than ideal.

“I always find that when it’s raining and, quite often when there’s a torrential downfall, you often get the most unexpected and fun images,” he said. “So it always pays to be on your guard when you can see a big gray cloud coming along.”

“I was looking around, looking at what might make a picture and what might not, and this seemed like quite a complicated silhouette, so I wasn’t sure it was going to work,” Jackson said. “But I love this particular moment, where the duchess is between the spokes of the clock, and she’s glancing out to the left slightly. It’s just a little bit more unusual. It stands out from the day-to-day royal engagements.”