Meet the Actual Prince Who Took Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's Engagement Photos
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's official engagement portraits were released earlier today, and it turns out that the photographer who took them, Alexi Lubomirski, has a fascinating story of his own. Here are nine things to know about him.
He's a prince.
Lubomirski was born in England to a Peruvian/English mother and a Polish/French father, and when he was an 11-year-old growing up in Botswana, he learned about his royal lineage through the Polish House of Lubomirski, which stretches back 500 years.
He trained with Mario Testino.
Testino, who shot Prince William and Kate Middleton's engagement portrait, hired Lubomirski as his assistant in Paris after the young photographer graduated from the University of Brighton. Lubomirski spent four years working for Testino.
Fashion magazines like Harper's Bazaar and Vogue have tapped Lubomirski for celebrity shoots.
Here, Lubomirski poses with Julia Roberts, whom he shot in Los Angeles in November. He's also photographed Beyoncé, Charlize Theron, Gwyneth Paltrow, Natalie Portman, Jennifer Lopez, Selma Hayek, Katy Perry, Sarah Jessica Parker, Jennifer Aniston, Nicole Kidman, and Scarlett Johansson, among others.
He met his wife, Giada, when she was producing and curating his photography show at Milk Studios in 2008.
Giada Torri (who now goes by Giada Lubomirski) was born in Manhattan to a Cuban mother and an Italian fatherand spent her childhood years in Rome before moving to America when she was 13.
They live in New York with their two sons, seven-year-old Sole Luka and four-year-old Leone.
The family reportedly purchased actress Molly Ringwald's East Village duplex for $1.7 million in 2016.
In 2014 His Serene Highness Prince Alexi Lubomirski published a book, Notes for a Young Prince, that was originally intended as a first-birthday gift for his first son, Sole Luka.
Among its tips: "Be chivalrous at all times. Stand up when introduced to women. Open doors for them, help carry their belongings, and protect them from harm." Lubomirski donates all the proceeds to the charity Concern Worldwide.
The book was released with a different title, Princely Advice for a Happy Life, the following year.
It's now available six languages.
He's a vegan and meditates twice a day.
Here, the friendly photographer offers a personal introduction in a YouTube video.
*This story originally appeared on Townandcountrymag.com
*Minor edits have been made by the Townandcountry.ph editors
