How a fan with an iPhone beat the country's top photographers to capture the Royals on Christmas Day 

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge arrive at the service alongside Meghan Markle and Prince Harry
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge arrive at the service alongside Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Credit: Karen Murdoch

It's the picture that has gone around the world. 

But the first image of the "Fab Four" - the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, with Prince Harry and his fiancee Meghan Markle - was taken not by a professional photographer, but a single mother with an iPhone, who hopes the fees will help fund her daughter through university. 

The image was taken by Karen Murdoch, 39, who was waiting outside St Mary Magdalene Church near the Sandringham estate as the Royals walked to the Christmas Day service. 

She was inundated with media requests after posting the photo on Twitter, and it appeared on the front pages of several national newspapers on Boxing Day, as well as in international media organisations in Australia and the USA.  

The image captures the two couples looking relaxed and happy, with the Duchess and Prince Harry both looking directly at the camera. 

Ms Murdoch, who works in HR at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Kings Lynn, regularly snaps photos of her family and pets but has no professional experience and simply "got lucky," she told the Daily Telegraph

"If you look at my daughter's photo, my friend was stood on the other side of me, and I just think that we were all at the same angle and it was just luck. We were all giddy and laughing and enjoying the experience, we weren't actually thinking about getting the best photo," she said. 

The media attention was "the most bonkers thing ever", she said, revealing that she had even been recognised by members of the public. 

"I just got noticed going to my mum's house. I just drove through and as I was pulling up these four strangers looked into the car and said 'oh my god that's that woman'. It was mad. I was like 'oh my god how embarrassing'.

"I've had three interviews and been on the TV. I've never been so popular in my life," she said, adding that she had been "the rudest guest" over Christmas. "My phone has not stopped going". 

Ms Murdoch and her daughter Rachel, 17, are both Royal super-fans and had been excited to catch a glimpse of Meghan Markle, Prince Harry's fiance. 

"Me and my daughter we're a bit geeky, we love all that," she said. 

"With Meghan coming into the family, and then finding that she was going to be there - we thought we live a short distance away, let's go down, it's not going to have a big impact on our day, that's what I was thinking at the time. 

"Let's go, we can be there for a few hours and then we can go to my auntie's and have Christmas dinner, watch Doctor Who, that's what I was really excited about - and I've missed Doctor Who, I'm traumatised by this." 

Ms Murdoch got the Royals' attention by shouting "Merry Christmas", she said, causing them to turn and look at her. 

She added that she hopes the money raised from fees to use the image will help put her daughter through university.

After initially telling others they could use the image for free she followed the advice of other Twitter users and began to charge a fee.  

"I want to do what I can to help. My parents were really good with me and I want to be a good role model for my daughter", she said, adding that Rachel wants to begin a career in healthcare following placements in a hospital's radiology department. 

The pair now plan to try to catch a glimpse - and maybe a picture - of Prince George and Princess Charlotte, she added. 

"We really want to see George and Charlotte - they're so cute. I'm not a big royal hunter, I wouldn't go following them round the country trying to get a photo, but it's on my doorstep. 

"That's our history, it's an important moment in history seeing them come out all together like that. That's the future."

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