Meghan Markle Shares Rare New Portrait — and She Has a Special Connection to the Photographer

The new image of the Duchess of Sussex accompanied the announcement that she's launching a new podcast series after parting ways with Spotify

Meghan Markle's announcement of a new podcast deal was accompanied by a new portrait, snapped by someone special in her life.

The Duchess of Sussex, 42, appears in the newly unveiled photo smiling softly in a gray sleeveless turtleneck top with her hands folded in front of her. The image was captured by Misan Harriman, a celebrated photographer who is close friends with Meghan.

Harriman was gotten behind the camera for some big moments in the lives of Meghan, Prince Harry and their two children, 4-year-old son Prince Archie and 2-year-old daughter Princess Lilibet, from the couple's 2021 pregnancy announcement to Lili's first birthday photo in June 2022. Harriman has also captured the couple behind the scenes at events like the Invictus Games and the One Young World Summit.

Related: Why Was Meghan Markle's Coat of Arms Used on New Website Instead of Her Joint Crest with Prince Harry?

Harriman also appeared in the Harry & Meghan series, which debuted on Netflix in December 2022, and has come to their defense on multiple occasions. After a spokesperson for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex told PEOPLE that Harry, Meghan and her mother, Doria Ragland, were involved in a "near catastrophic car chase" while being pursued by "a ring of highly aggressive paparazzi" in New York City in May 2023, Harriman tweeted, "They need to be protected, this is unacceptable and terrifying, they have babies at home….. sigh."

Meghan and Harriman have also supported each other's work. The Duchess of Sussex made a surprise appearance via video to introduce the photographer, entrepreneur and social activist via video before his TED Talk last year, and she moderated a special screening of Harriman's short film on Netflix, The After, in November.

Harriman's latest portrait appeared on Meghan and Prince Harry's new website to accompany the reveal of Meghan's new podcast deal with Lemonada Media nearly eight months after the couple parted ways with Spotify. In addition to the one season of her podcast Archetypes now being distributed to all platforms, Meghan is also set to launch a new show that she will host, although no further details on the untitled project have been revealed.

“I’m proud to now be able to share that I am joining the brilliant team at Lemonada to continue my love of podcasting,” Meghan said in a statement. “Being able to support a female founded company with a roster of thought provoking and highly entertaining podcasts is a fantastic way to kick off 2024. Our plan to re-release Archetypes so that more people can now have access to it, as well as launching a dynamic new podcast are well in the works. I’m so eager to be able to share it soon, and am overjoyed to be joining the Lemonada family.”

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Related: Meghan Markle Joins a Night of 'Cooking and Storytelling' Inspired by Her First Project as a Royal

This week, Meghan and Prince Harry are scheduled to travel to Canada for the Invictus Games Vancouver Whistler 2025's One Year to Go celebrations. Over their three-day visit, the couple will join members of the participating nations' Winter Training Camp, which provides an opportunity for members of the International Invictus Community, including team managers, coaches and competitors, to experience winter adaptive sports ahead of the Games next year.

Prince Harry, a former captain in the British Army, founded the international adaptive sports tournament for wounded, injured and sick service personnel and veterans in 2014.

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