On Her Majesty’s secret service
Duchess chooses Irish Independent photographer’s picture for her thank-you card
WHEN Irish Independent photographer Gerry Mooney received a call from Kensington Palace, he thought it was one of his colleagues having a laugh.
But once he was assured of their legitimacy, the PA to Duchess of Sussex Meghan Markle asked for permission to use a photo he took of the royal.
The latest addition to the British royal family was sending out postcards as a thank you to her fans following their best wishes for her 37th birthday. And Gerry’s photo was the one they wanted to use for the cover.
The photo chosen was one of the duchess mingling with fans at Trinity College during her visit to Ireland with Prince Harry over the summer.
The PA told Gerry that Meghan had personally picked that one out as her favourite picture.
“The Duchess would be thrilled to use the photograph as her birthday correspondence card,” the PA said.
The initial contact was made in early August, with the postcard now going viral online from fans.
“They were delighted to have it. It came as a surprise to me to be honest,” Gerry said.
“When I heard it was Kensington Palace on the phone, at first I thought it was one of the colleagues having a laugh, but no, it was serious.
“They explained what they were doing. When the Duchess goes on a public engagement there’s thousands of pictures, both professional and from normal people taken of her every single day.
“So to have an image picked by her as the image she wanted to use for her birthday card, I have to say I was very pleased with it.”
Gerry explained that both Meghan and Harry seemed very relaxed as they did a walkabout around Trinity College and chatted to members of the public. “The people were very much taken with Meghan,” he recalled.
“And I remember taking it – as quick as pictures are taken – and thinking there was a certain bond between her and the people at the time.
“It’s something that I’ll put up along with other memorabilia from the job.
“It’s a lovely memento of the job and it’s not every day you get a call from Kensington Palace looking for a picture to be used, and the fact it was in Dublin as well,” he added.