Picture perfect! Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan (née Markle) received a hand-drawn portrait from a talented fan during their recent tour in Ireland, and now, the artist is opening up about her experience.
The newlyweds accepted the gift while saying hello to well-wishers in Dublin on Friday, July 13. Local Chloe Mullins, 19, stood in the crowd with her drawing of their iconic black-and-white engagement photo, which they later accepted.
Mullins spoke exclusively to Us Weekly after greeting the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. “Meeting them was incredible. I can’t get over just how genuine and lovely they are … I drew the picture before their [May] wedding as I knew I wanted to meet them and I hoped I’d get a chance to present it to them and luckily enough I was,” she gushed. “The drawing took around 15 to 20 hours, which is not really that long for me. This was because I chose to use charcoal so I could capture the nice blurred background. I loved the engagement photos by Alexi Lubomirski and just couldn’t help but draw one.”
She added that Meghan and Harry “seemed like a really great couple” and “a great team talking to the crowds together.”
“I didn’t even think I would get to meet them,” Mullins continued. “I thought I might have to mail it to Kensington Palace and hope for a reply. Overall, it was an unforgettable experience and I can’t thank the duke an duchess enough for their kind words.”
The artwork quickly captured Prince Harry’s attention when he was greeting fans in Dublin. “That’s very, very good. Did you draw that?” the 33-year-old asked in a video that captured the encounter After admiring the artwork he teased, “You’ve given me more hair.”
Meghan, 36, also complimented the portrait and thanked Mullins for the thoughtful gesture. When the Captain General Royal Marines asked if he could keep the portrait, she said she thought that members of the royal family cannot accept gifts. The Invictus Games founder confidently handed the portrait to an aide and replied, “We’re 100 percent accepting this.”
The Suits alum and the prince tied the knot in May after announcing their engagement in November 2017.