Single mom reveals how a world-famous photo of royals she accidentally took has changed her life

Karen Anvil has earned more than $50,000 after taking a photo of Princes Harry and William with their wives Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle.

The 40-year-old single mother from Watlington, Norfolk, was in the crowd at Sandringham when she took the photo of the smiling royals as they greeted well-wishers, as reported by BBC.

She later sold the photo, with the sales large enough so that she could take a year off work, clear debts and renovate her house.

The photo also paved the way for Anvil being given a chance to talk to Prince Harry.

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Anvil, who used to work two jobs, described her fortune as “like a lottery win.”

“The biggest change for me was that it was so nice to go shopping at Tesco and not be worried about whether I've got the cash in the bank,” she said.

POSTED TO SOCIAL MEDIA

Anvil first posted the photo, which she took with her phone, on social media, not knowing she could earn from it. A professional photographer at the church connected her with his agent, who facilitated the sale of the photo.

It didn’t take long before the picture became viral. On the same day, the photo was sold to at least 50 countries. Several editions of “Hello” and “OK!” published the photo, as did various British newspapers. It also appeared on TV stations across the world.

The photo also paved the way for Anvil being given a chance to talk to Prince Harry. BBC’s One Show had put her up against a professional photographer to see who could get the best picture of the 34-year-old royal.

“I asked him if he had seen my Christmas photo and, after looking at me quizzically, he suddenly smiled and said: 'I hope you've been paid a lot of money for it,'” she recalled.

THE MOST POPULAR ROYAL

Prince Harry is the most popular royal according to a new YouGov poll. Her wife, Meghan Markle, ranked sixth.

Results of the poll showed that 77 percent of the voters admired the Duke of Sussex, who is described as “admirable, likable, humorous, fun-loving and genuine.”

The Queen came in second, with 74 percent of voters choosing her. Prince William came in third and followed by his wife, Kate Middleton, who was in fourth place.