Pattinson met Twigs when they both walked down the aisle at the same wedding. The actor played the role of a best man in a 2010 wedding between Harry Potter star Emma Watson and the Duchess of Cambridge’s brother, Prince William. The actor then became good friends with the couple and they all worked together on the movie, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2.
It wasn’t just their work together that bonded the duo. Both actors have a common passion for photography, and so it was when Emma and Harry Potter’s Ron Weasley ran into each other at the Cardiff Book Festival in 2011. “That was the moment when it clicked for me that they were somehow both in the same ballpark as far as photography was concerned,” Pattinson recalls in the new issue of GQ magazine.
“I looked at Ron and thought, ‘I could take a photograph of you and your friends, if you don’t mind,'” he says. “And it was a no-brainer – it was like asking someone if you can take their photo. They’re a yes-man. They’re like, ‘Of course, of course! Right away!'”
Watson and William are good friends with Prince Harry, so it was only a matter of time before they asked Pattinson to be their best man. Harry and William chose the actor as their personal photographer for the big day, and during the ceremony, he managed to snap some memorable images of the three of them.
The Biggest Day Of His Life
Pattinson wasn’t just in Cardiff to take photos of the royal wedding – he was also there to film an episode of the hit Netflix series, The Crown. The episode was set in the summer of 1960, and featured one of the most iconic images of Queen Elizabeth II to date. In the scene, Elizabeth is seated on a couch, with her two corgis, Lakiya and Snowy, on either side of her. One of the dogs jumps up and licks her face – and the camera catches a glimpse of a tattoo on her cheek.
“It’s a memorable tattoo, if I’m being honest,” Pattinson says. “It’s something to do with a dog I had when I was young. I got it done when I was 17 and it’s something I always liked about her. I also like that she has a tattoo, because I have one too.”
Pattinson’s mother, Sally, is also one of the series’ biggest fans, and she makes a special appearance in the upcoming season. He describes the experience of working with the cast and crew as “an absolute dream”.
“It was the most fun I’ve ever had on a television set,” he says. “There’s something about being a part of something that feels so right, yet also so surreal. You’re doing something that you know is important, yet at the same time it’s this big thing that you’re involved in but it’s not actually happening. It’s a very heady moment. You just have to trust your instincts and believe in yourself, because you’ve signed up for something good and you know it.”
A New York Public Library
While many might consider being the best man at a royal wedding to be one of the highlights of their career, the role also has its downsides. Pattinson had to give up a lot of his personal time to be at the ceremonies, which meant missing out on some of the bigger projects he was working on back in the Big Apple. The worst part of being best man at a royal wedding, he says, is that he misses out on a lot of the celebration, which is undoubtedly one of the perks of the job.
“I wouldn’t wish it on anyone,” he says. “I missed out on all the parties and the fun. I was there for the ceremony and it was a lovely day, but I remember thinking, ‘I wish I was elsewhere.'”
Pattinson and his wife, Kate, who he met while filming The Walking Dead, have since moved to New York City, where they settled into a cozy life while he worked on The Crown. The couple have a son, Archer, and a daughter, Vivian, who they were lucky enough to meet late last year. Life in the Big Apple, as they’re affectionately known, is a far cry from life in a palace. But even then, being a parent is something that Pattinson, an experienced parent himself, had in mind when he took on the role of best man in the first place.
‘Tis The Season
The past few years have seen Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan, enjoy a close-knit family life, thanks to their decision to keep a low public profile. As a result, they’ve largely stayed away from the numerous red-carpet events that occur each season, in favor of more intimate gatherings with their children. The couple spent Christmas 2018 with just the two of them, as their son, Edward, and daughter, Beatrice, were both born in July.
Pattinson, who has often been spotted with the Duchess of Cambridge, describes himself as a great admirer of the royal family and their work. He says that while he doesn’t know if he’d make a good royal match (he jokes that he might try to hit on the Queen, just to see what would happen), he’s really glad to have played a part in the lives of Prince Harry and Meghan.
“‘Tis the season’ was the first thing that popped into my head when I heard they were having a baby,” he says. “I hope that they’ll allow me to take some photographs for them this year. They’ve been incredibly nice to me and I hope that I can reciprocate by being a shoulder to cry on whenever they need someone.”
With just a few months to go until the end of the year, it seems likely that we’ll soon be hearing from Harry and Meghan about how much they appreciate Pattinson’s help. It’s certainly been an eventful year for the actor, and he looks forward to the next chapter in his exciting life.