Behind the Crown: My Life Photographing the Royal Family

by Arthur Edwards

A breathtaking collection of photographs capturing the modern British monarchy as never before seen, taken by the Royal photographer for the The Sun (UK) who has covered them for nearly half a century."For 45 years I've chronicled the Royal Family for the Sun newspaper with my camera. I've witnessed their triumphs and disasters, their laughter and tears, when they've found love and when their relationships splinter. I'm there when they emerge from the maternity wing as wailing newborns and I'm there again when they marry before a joyous nation. And when they're laid to rest on those solemn occasions that this country marks so well, I'm on hand to capture history being made."Arthur Edwards has been The Sun's (UK) Royal Photographer for over 45 years; the longest serving of any newspaper. Originally from the East End of London, he is the man behind the most iconic photographs of the most famous family in the world. With commensurate skill and unprecedented access, he has captured the candid moments when protocol is put aside, revealing the true personalities behind the Crown.This beautiful book is a treasure trove of glorious photography, along with Arthur's own warm recollections of the stories behind his iconic shots. It is the perfect glimpse behind the scenes of the last 50 years of the British monarchy, from a truly unique perspective.

Genres: Royalty, Nonfiction, Photography

304 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 29, 2022

Reviews

[Crystal FloridaGrams Of3 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely photos and for someone like me who loved Queen Elizabeth II that there are actual photos I've never seen. I have a huge collection of the Windsor family, but this photo album has to be one of my favorites because it's includes the entire family. Great stories behind some of the photographs 📸.

[Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m always fascinated by photographs of the royal family.

[Jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful photos, good stories.

[DaisyCat · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful book which is exactly what it says. It’s a photo album of more than 40 years of royalty featuring mostly senior royals. The story behind each photo is explained. For me it’s mostly a look back at events I remember.

[Jim Gallen · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Behind the Crown” is a collection of photographs of Queen Elizabeth II and her family taken by author Arthur Edwards supplemented by his description of the photos as well as his comments about his subjects and his interactions with them. Photos, both black and white and color capture moments posed and spontaneous, staged and semi- personal, generation after generation. The author is benign to the Royal Family and present them as a family with public duties and private lives. This book is a quick read, or a slow savor. I recommend it to anyone seeking a more intimate view of the British Royal Family.

[Michele Graham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Arthur Edwards is a national treasure and although he had a rocky start with the Royal family the fact that Prince Phillip requested a box made for him to photograph his funeral from shows the progression he’s made throughout the the decades. The fact that he has said, looking back he feels ashamed about how he & his colleagues behaved shows, in part, what a true gentleman now.

The phonographs are magnificent and the text sometimes fascinating.
If you’re a Monarchist like me I highly recommend it.

[Ursula Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Many Great Photos of the Royal Family

This was lovely book of photos of several generations of the royal family taken by a long term photographer. There are many candid photos and the author's anecdotes are wonderful. From the Queen to Harry and Megan, pictures of many are included. The big minus for me was the section about Diana had too many black and white pictures, while everyone else was in color. Otherwise, a nice photographic behind the scenes of the Royal family.

[T J · Rating 3 out of 5]

Don’t get me wrong I think Arthur Edwards is one of the best known Royal photographers but I thought some of his views particularly on the state of Prince William and Prince Harry’s relationship and on Prince Harry and his wife were either very blinkered or an out and out lie and taken from a view point of let’s not upset anyone by stating the truth. I was disappointed there weren’t more colour photographs in the book.

[Ute Weiß · Rating 5 out of 5]

Arthur Edwards is a great photographer and seems to be a very nice person.

As a teacher of English as a second language in Germany I know of the fascination my students have with the British Royal Family.
Arthur Edwards has taken wonderful pictures of the family for about four decades.

And, btw, nobody does pomp and circumstance better than the Brits. 😁

[Zoey Curato · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant book, full of amazing pictures of the Royal Family along with some amusing anecdotes about when they were taken. I would recommend this book to anyone who is a big fan of the Royal Family, like myself.

[Sharon Fauerbach · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the wonderful photographs as well as the stories behind the pictures. I enjoyed seeing pictures that I have never seen before. I appreciated how the book was organized. Each chapter covered a different member of the Royal family. This is a wonderful historical snapshot.

[Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent pictorial from the man who has been photographing the Royal family for more than 40 years. Edwards has gone from prying intrusive tabloid photo hack (he, after all works for the Sun) to respected and valued photographer who the royals regularly greet at public engagements.

[Piper Winchester · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful pictures and moments from the Royal Family

[Jane Harper · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice book with some wonderful pictures of the royal family.

[Natalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not much to say, but this was a beautiful collection of photographs taken by Arthur Edwards. You can see both his passion for his craft and for the royal family in the photos and prose of this book. Also, there is a clear path to his closeness with the royal family and how that relationship developed throughout the photos.