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​Single Mum Hopes Royal Snap Will Pay For Daughter’s Uni Fees

​Single Mum Hopes Royal Snap Will Pay For Daughter’s Uni Fees

It wasn’t until other Twitter users suggested she started charging people that she realised it could be a lucrative venture.

Jess Hardiman

Jess Hardiman

A single mum is hoping that the photo she took of four famous royals will help fund the tuition fees for her daughter's university education.

Karen Anvil, 39, from Watlington in Norfolk, managed to capture the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle as they enjoyed a Christmas Day service at Sandringham. It soon racked up over 12,000 likes on Twitter - and over 2,000 retweets, a response that she's labelled 'bizarre and bonkers'.

It was then that other social media users urged Karen to think savvy, and start charging for media outlets to use her photo

Speaking to the BBC, she said that she promised her daughter they'd go to the service after suffering from illness last year.

"Sky News was on and we were looking at the crowds," she said. "My daughter said 'I'd love to do that'.

"I said 'next year, when I'm better we'll go'. And so I took her."

Ms Anvil said she got the Royals to look at the camera together by being 'just very bubbly by nature" and getting "a bit excitable'.

"I was just sort of shouting and I just went 'Merry Christmas!' like an idiot. I was fan-girling," the mum added.

Media outlets began asking for permission to use the photo, but it wasn't until other Twitter users suggested she started charging people that she realised it could be a lucrative venture - and could even fund a part of her 17-year-old daughter Rachel's education.

"At first I said oh yeah sure. Have the photo. I know nothing about that," she said.

"The thing is - and I hate to play the single mum card - I'm a single parent, I work two jobs, which I'm proud of and I've always worked.

"Now I want to save money for my daughter for uni and if I can do that, and can get that opportunity that's amazing."

The reason why Karen's photo went viral was because it rivalled the quality of professional press photos from the day. She'd managed to not only snag a good spot, but also catch the foursome looking like they were in really good spirits for Christmas Day - Kate and Harry even smiling directly into the camera.

Huge crowds gathered from as early as 2am to get the best view outside the church, hoping to catch the royals - especially Prince Harry's fiancée Meghan Markle. She proved she'd mastered the art of the curtsy, as she became the first non-member of the royal fam to join them for Christmas, shaking up normal tradition.

Featured Image Credit: Karen Anvil

Topics: Christmas, UK News, News, prince william, Kate Middleton, Royal Family, Prince Harry, Meghan Markle