In an interview with Yle, British photographer Arthur Edwards fondly remembers the late Diana, but also appreciates Queen Camilla’s toughness.
The British-style cinematographer is worried that the coronation crowd will get water down their necks.
– Let’s just hope for good weather, says Arthur Edwards in an interview with Yle.
– It’s not nice at all if we have to wear raincoats. I always check the long-term weather forecast to see what the weather is going to be like.
Edwards began photographing Prince Charles for his client, the tabloid *The Sun*, already in the 1970s.
He got his first great shot of the prince in a polo match. After the match, Charles stayed to pat his pony and fed it a handful of sugar. Edwards says that he got less than half a meter away from the prince and the picture turned out to be quite charming.
Diana enters the picture
After the pony photo, Edwards began to follow the prince diligently. *The Sun* was thirsty for pictures of the kingdom’s most wanted bachelor and his life.
Travel expenses were not spared when reporters and cameramen followed Charles to different parts of the world. Edwards flew after him to places like India and the Himalayas.
The dashing prince’s girlfriends came and went.
In the picture, he rests his cheek on his palm and looks sheepishly at the camera.
– I heard later that the girl was only 19 years old and I thought that the prince doesn’t date teenagers anyway. And so the photo was put in the magazine’s archive, laughs Edwards.
Edwards later discovered that the prince was hiding Diana from the media. From this, it was concluded that the relationship was serious after all, and the engagement began to be expected. Diana’s picture was dug out from the archive and printed in the magazine. The front cover, of course.
From the photographer of Scandal magazine to a knight
Arthur Edwards started his career as a photographer as a young boy partly out of necessity. The father’s sudden death had derailed the family into poverty and the son had to go earn money. Mother saw that Arthur has a visual eye and bought him a camera with her little money. With that, the boy got a job at a local newspaper.
Although *The Sun* is considered by many to be a light publication, even a sleazy magazine, the stories and juicy pictures that appear in it, among other things, of the royals make readers devour its contents. Photographers compete for front page photos.
A documentary has now also been made about Edwards’ life’s work. The documentary *Arthur* – *A Life with the Royals* will be available to watch at Brit Box on May 3. In the documentary, Charles shouts to the film crew and Edwards, laughing:
– Oh, the camera crew is following you Edwards! That’s right for you!
The engagement kicked off Lady Di mania
Edwards still replays Charles and Diana’s engagement in his mind. He remembers the time when telegrams were still sent.
– Due to the engagement, I sent Charles a telegram in which I congratulated him and Diana and wished him all the best for the future.
– He sent a telegram saying thank you, and hopefully this will make you (photographers) redundant, Edwards laughs.
Photographers and reporters did not become unnecessary, because the engagement started a whirlwind. Lady Di mania began. The media followed the young couple everywhere.
Charles and Diana’s wedding was a worldwide media event. In the documentary, Arthur Edwards tells how he decided to go and film on the balcony of the building next to St Paul’s Cathedral. From there, I got a good shot of the seven-meter long skirt of Diana’s wedding dress. There was no picture of it on the front page, but there was an entire interior opening.
Edwards went along on all the important trips of the couple. He filmed in Australia, for example, where huge crowds followed the Crown Prince and Princess Diana. There was no doubt about the more interesting side of the couple. At times, the court spokesperson had to beg for someone to photograph Prince Charles as well, not just the flamboyant princess.
– Diana was an extremely pleasant person. His way of acting was different from what the court was used to before. He wasn’t that distant.
– When I was on their trip in Nigeria, I saw how Diana went to the patients in the leprosy hospital, gently held their hands and looked deeply into their eyes. He was irresistible!
Charles is more prepared than anyone
Arthur Edwards of the soon-to-be-crowned King Charles thinks he is more than ready for the task. Charles is now 75 years old and has known all his life that he would become king.
Edwards appreciates many traits in Charles. The king has been ahead of his time in many respects.
– He already spoke about climate change 30 years ago with heavy words. In Brazil and Cameroon, he appealed to the country’s leaders not to cut down and burn the rainforests.
– When Prince Charles spoke for organic food, he was laughed at. Now every supermarket sells organic and everyone wants to eat organic food, Edwards points out.
According to Edwards, the spirit of celebration is bubbling across the kingdom.
– Although Harry never seems to get over the loss of his mother. He was just a little child whose father came to wake him up at night and tell him that his mother was dead. I understand him.
Arthur Edwards sighs. Sad times have also been experienced with the royal family. But now it’s time to celebrate.
Edwards can already see in his mind the masses of people along the parades and waiting for the king to wave to the balcony. Everyone has a cell phone in their hand. Today, everyone is a photographer. Edwards has nothing bad to say about that. Cellphone cameras are good and useful gadgets.
He still plans to tune his SLR one more time and position himself to photograph the newly crowned royal couple.
– When you see a good picture, take it!