Princesses, PMs & stars all captured by Sun's Arthur Edwards as he receives gong
Find out how a lorry driver's son ended up travelling to 120 countries to become the Royals' favourite snapper
Mike Ridley , Sun feature writer Published : 0:01, 23 May 2025
IN the world of press photography there are legends – and then there is Arthur Edwards.
Our royal photographer has been on The Sun's staff for 50 years, and in that time he has become a household name for his brilliant pictures.
15 Sun snapper Arthur Edward with the press pack on the day PM Margaret Thatcher quit in 1990 Credit: Times Newspapers Ltd
And to mark his incredible career, Arthur, who is still working at the age of 84, was last night presented with the well-deserved Lifetime Achievement prize at the annual Press Awards.
He received the honour for a feat in national newspaper history that is unlikely ever to be repeated.
In half a century working for Britain's favourite newspaper, lorry driver's son Arthur has visited 120 countries to take photos – not only of the royals, but also many of the world's best-known faces.
Today he shares some of his favourite pictures – a tiny fraction of the thousands he has taken for readers of The Sun since he joined the staff in December 1974. Lady Diana Spencer, 1981
Probably my most famous Diana picture came about because I knew that the girl who would marry Prince Charles was a nursery assistant.
But I didn't know where she worked, so I went to three pre-schools in West London before I came across the Young England Kindergarten in Pimlico.
15 With a bit of luck and sunlight, Arthur Edwards captured his most iconic photo of Diana at a Pimlico nursery Credit: The Sun
I knocked on the door and asked the principal: 'Does Lady Diana Spencer work here?' When she said yes, I asked if Diana would pose for a photograph for The Sun.
Diana agreed, but she wanted to have two of the children with her.
Suddenly the sun came out. With the help of God's light, an ordinary photo became a fabulous picture. Margaret Thatcher and her cat, 1978
I was sent to Flood Street in Chelsea , where Mrs Thatcher lived when she was leader of the Opposition. Prince Harry & Meghan make money trashing the Royals - why should we pay for his security? | Royal Exclusive Show
It was the Sunday before the 1978 Tory Conference and The Sun's Editor asked if I could get a picture of Mrs T writing her speech.
15 She was known as 'Thatcher the Milk Snatcher', but the Iron Lady showed her soft side in 1978 – as Arthur snapped her sharing a quiet moment and a saucer of milk with a cat Credit: Arthur Edwards / The Sun
She looked so young back then and happily posed for a photo. But when she was seeing me off later, a cat jumped up on the wall.
I saw the soft side of our future Prime Minister – who would become known as the Iron Lady – when she almost purred: 'Kitty, you want your milk.'
Despite being nicknamed Thatcher the Milk Snatcher when she was Education Secretary and ended free school milk for children, she happily poured some into a saucer for the cat.
It made a couple of brilliant pictures. David Beckham getting his OBE, 2003
I have photographed David many times, and he has always been a superstar.
Nothing is too much trouble for him.
15 David Beckham kisses Victoria on the nose after getting his OBE in 2003 – a sweet moment captured when she refused to smile for the camera Credit: Arthur Edwards / The Sun
When he received his OBE from the late Queen, I asked his wife Victoria to smile.
But she never does, and she looked at me as if I was asking her for a thousand pounds.
So David just kissed her on the nose, which I thought was lovely, and it made a great picture. Sir Paul McCartney, 2001
He was promoting some scarves that his wife Linda had designed.
But the photo call at Kew Gardens was so chaotic that he walked away.
15 Sir Paul McCartney pulls a lemon from his pocket and poses with a smile in 2001 – telling Arthur, 'Call me Macca' Credit: Arthur Edwards / The Sun
Back then, The Sun was starting to print colour pages, and I was desperate for a bright photo that would get into the paper.
So I waited outside the main pavilion until he came out, and I said: 'Excuse me, Sir Paul.'
He replied: 'Call me Macca.'
When he realised what I wanted, he pulled a lemon out of his pocket and posed happily for this very colourful picture. Donald Trump, 2016
During his first campaign for the US presidency in 2016, he was at his Turnberry golf course in Scotland.
I tried to get a photo that was different, so I took him with a copy of that day's Sun.
15 Donald Trump at Turnberry in 2016 – Arthur secretly thought he didn't have a prayer of winning the presidency… how wrong can you be? Credit: Arthur Edwards / The Sun
I asked him to take his hat off but he said no, adding that his hair wasn't good, and he would not do it.
On the plane home, I said to my colleague, The Sun's Chief Feature Writer Oliver Harvey: 'I don't think he's got a prayer in the election.'
How wrong can you be? Prince Charles and Ronald Reagan, 1981
I was in Wellington, New Zealand, at the start of a world tour with Prince Charles when we heard the shocking news that US President Ronald Reagan had been shot.
The royal tour was due to end in Washington DC, and after the assassination attempt, we assumed that leg would be cancelled.
15 Charles joked about the persistence of the British press, after the snapper asked President Regan to stand for a shot - despite a recent assassination attempt Credit: Arthur Edwards / The Sun
But by the time we had visited Australia and Hawaii, President Reagan had recovered, and his first official meeting was with the prince at the White House.
They were sitting by the fireplace and I asked them both to stand up. Reagan, who was still frail, could not believe what I'd asked.
But Charles stood up and said: 'The British press – they are so persistent.' Prince Philip, the Queen and Zara Phillips in carriage, 1984
Every year Philip competed at the Royal Windsor Horse Show.
The Queen and their granddaughter Zara are on his carriage.
15 Prince Philip competes at the Royal Windsor Horse Show in 1984, with the Queen and granddaughter Zara Phillips cheering from his carriage Credit: Arthur Edwards / The Sun
Philip's biggest fan was his wife, who suffered every fault and every mistake he made – but when he won, she always cheered the loudest. Harry and the hand mark, 2015
This is the moment he got his revenge on me for revealing during New Zealand's breakfast TV that he was losing his hair.
15 Harry takes his revenge for Arthur revealing the prince's thinning crown Credit: PA:Press Association
15 Harry's purple handed artwork
We were visiting a youth club where the youngsters asked him to do a hand print on the wall in purple paint.
He did – then placed his hand firmly on my head. Prince Charles with Tom Jones and Lionel Richie, 2019
I seem to have been taking pictures of Tom Jones all my life, from his early days in Wales to last year's D-Day celebrations in Normandy.
Although he is quite old now, like Elvis, Sir Tom has never lost that fabulous voice.
15 Prince Charles with his great friend Tom Jones and Lionel Richie in Barbados, 2019 - a rare snapshot of music legends and royalty together Credit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
Lionel Richie is a great friend of the now King Charles. I photographed him at the Coronation concert at Windsor Castle, but I love this picture of the three of them, which I took in Barbados. Brian May on Buckingham Palace roof, 2002
Queen guitarist playing the National Anthem on the palace roof to open Her Majesty's Golden Jubilee concert. Genius.
Not many people bothered to photograph it because there was a star-studded line-up to come, including Cliff Richard, Ozzy Osbourne and Paul McCartney.
15 Brian May rocks Buckingham Palace roof, 2002, playing the National Anthem to kick off the Golden Jubilee concert - a shot that led to friendship and tea with the Queen guitarist Credit: Arthur Edwards / The Sun
Afterwards, Brian asked if he could use my picture of him finishing in triumph – playing the guitar that his dad had made for him – on his social media.
Naturally I said yes, because he had done such a brilliant job under immense pressure.
Later, Brian invited me to tea and we became quite good friends. Tony and Cherie Blair, 2005
I went along to Downing Street with our political editor Trevor Kavanagh who was interviewing the Prime Minister in the beautiful garden.
15 Cherie Blair asked for a photo with Tony — Arthur said, 'Give him a hug'
His wife Cherie asked if they could have a picture together? I said 'give him a hug'.
They loved the photo so much the Blairs gave a signed copy to every visitor to No10. I've got a signed copy of it at home. Mother Teresa, 1980
Prince Charles went to visit Mother Teresa in Calcutta and pray with her, which of course we couldn't photograph.
15 Of all his rich and famoous subjects, Arthur says Mother Theresa was the most humble, compassionate person
But I photographed her these orphans who had been abandoned on the streets and this wonderful woman, who is now a saint, took them in.
Of all the famous people I've photographed, she was the most humble, compassionate person. I am so lucky to have met her. Princess Anne and Gorbachev, 1980
I have been to the Kremlin a few times, including once when I photographer Diana Ross there.
15 Princess Anne meets President Gorbachev at the Kremlin in 1980
This time I went with Princess Anne who visited the USSR space centre before meeting President Gorbachev.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Guardian
7 minutes ago
- The Guardian
‘He gave me a massage. I've never been in more pain in my life': Terence Stamp remembered by Paul Andrew Williams
We sent Terence the script for Song for Marion, and he just turned up at the office. He buzzed the door and said: 'Is Paul there?' There was a new person working in our office at the time, and she said: 'No, no one's in at the minute. Who's calling?' He said: 'It's Terence Stamp.' And then she was like: 'Well, he's not here, shall I leave a message?' She didn't invite him up or anything. She left him standing there. And he didn't give a shit about that, to be honest. Me, Terence and Gemma Arterton, who played the music teacher in Song for Marion, went to lunch at a vegan cafe in Shoreditch. His character, Arthur, was someone who loved his wife (played by Vanessa Redgrave), and would do anything for her, but always moaned, was always cantankerous, and found it very difficult to show any form of love to his son. He was someone who I based on my grandad, and bits of my dad. When his wife dies, it's Gemma's character who brings him out of his shell a bit, and encourages him to sing. We were talking about this character and he looked at me like I was talking in French. I stopped and said: 'Well, you can always just wing it.' He went, 'Yeah, let's wing it.' Working with him, I learned that veteran actors do like to be talked to, in terms of being directed. I also learned, without him telling me, that he had insecurities as well. When I met him, the first thing he said was: 'I'm only going to do one take. That's it.' But then when you got to know him, he was like, 'Oh, don't be silly.' He had his bravado. But he was a very underrated, very understated actor. When he sang Lullabye by Billy Joel in the film, he broke everyone. It was obviously very good, but it was so sad. As a kid, I loved him as the baddie in the amazing Superman and Superman II. He's good at frustration. He punches his hands in rage at one point. When we were shooting Song for Marion, I remember him coming over to give me a massage, because I'd said my back was sore. I've never been in more pain in my life. He was not the most tender of men. Terence was super, super fit. During filming, I went to the apartment where he was staying. He had this set of rotating press-up handles. They're on the ground, and you put your hands on them, and as you go, you can turn them. He said: 'Go on, do one.' I was like, 'Fucking hell, I don't know if I can.' He did loads, and I did one. I was in the peak of health, about 39 years old. He was 74 when he did Song for Marion. He was so healthy. He didn't drink. He didn't do any bad stuff at all. He was supposed to eat a chocolate bar in the film, and we had to swap it for a carob date bar, otherwise he wouldn't touch it. We always used to go to a place on Berwick Street for tea – a herbal tea, because I thought he'd really like that. He had this blue carrier bag with him. In it, he had his script and a load of raw beetroot and carrots. He said: 'I'm going to make a wicked salad: beetroot, carrot, that's it. A bit of vinegar – gorgeous.' That's what I remember. When we made Song for Marion, he was obviously still known. He had just done The Adjustment Bureau, and he had done Steven Soderbergh's The Limey, which wasn't a massive hit, but it was a really respected film. I didn't expect him to like this kind of script, because it was more commercial in terms of the story itself. But we talked about the fact that it reminded him very much of the relationship he had with his father. The troubles he had with his dad were not dissimilar to his relationship with Christopher Eccleston in the film. There was a jealousy of the mum's attention. We were the closing night film at the Toronto film festival. Terence was there, and behind him was his younger brother, Chris, who had managed the Who. Chris was crying his eyes out, and Terence was very comforting towards him, because they recognised their old man. He did like to talk about himself. I'll give him that. He would always go on about how big guys in gyms would beg him to say: 'Kneel before Zod.' He told me, obviously, about going off to India, about how he was absolutely broke and he had to borrow coins to call his agent to find out about Superman. He'd tell stories about him and Jim Morrison. The thing is, he did have an amazingly interesting life. He was low-key, but when he put a suit on, he looked good. He is possibly the best looking man I've worked with. My old drama teacher came to our screening at the London film festival, and the first thing he said to her was that she had wonderful shoes. She's still dining out on that. He was the most charming grump I've ever met. He was great to work with, but he was such a moaner. Then he would smile, and you'd think, he knew what he was doing.
The Sun
7 minutes ago
- The Sun
I've transformed my garden stairs on a budget – now people say they ‘give holiday vibes' and look ‘very Mediterranean'
A DIY enthusiast has given her garden a mega makeover without breaking the bank - and it's all thanks to her impressive stair transformation. Emma, a 40-year-old gardening fan who is currently on a mission to transform her home, was able to add style to her outside space, whilst staying on a budget. 2 Not only are her garden stairs now incredibly eye-catching, but people have said her outside area 'gives holiday vibes' and looks 'very Mediterranean.' So if you're on a mission to bring a new lease of life to your property, you'll need to listen up and take notes. The content creator, who is from Rhondda Cynon Taff, Wales, took to social media to share a before, during and after look at her painted steps, leaving many totally stunned. Emma demonstrated how she ensured her once grubby stairs looked gorgeous, as she wrote: 'I've totally transformed these garden steps on a budget!' To kick off the overhaul, Emma began by giving the stairs a deep clean. After she jet washed the stairs, she then used a HQC Premium Paint, which you can buy from B&Q. She claimed that the 'first coat went on lovely' and after this, she used an orange paint to create her very own stencils. Emma created sunflower stencils and then used sponge stencils to add a beautiful mosaic tile effect on the steps. The DIY fan added the stencils 'on each step' and we think it looks fabulous. Thrilled with her simple but effective makeover, the savvy woman beamed: 'Here is the after! I've totally transformed this area on a budget!' 'I was quoted £10,000 for a garden renovation but did it MYSELF for £1,000 using ChatGPT to show my kids what single mums can do' Emma later confirmed that from start to finish, her project took her four days. She acknowledged that the longest waiting time was the white coats of paint as the stairs needed two coats. DIY fans react Emma's TikTok clip, which was posted under the username @ inmygardeningera2025, has clearly impressed many, as it has quickly racked up 194,700 views. Not only this, but it's also amassed 4,055 likes and 347 comments. DIY fans were gobsmacked by Emma's stunning garden project and many eagerly raced to the comments to express this. One person said: 'Looks lovely, takes me away to Greece.' Another added: 'Ohhh I love that!! Gives me holiday vibe s! Very pretty.' Garden features that add the most value to a house A well-kept garden can add anywhere between 5-20% to the value of a property. carried out a study and consulted 36 estate agents, garden designers and property professionals from across the UK. And the experts revealed the garden feature which adds the most value to a property is a shed. Shed - 82% Patio or paving - 76% Secure fencing, walls or gates - 72% Outdoor lighting - 66% Sturdy decking - 62% Water features eg. fountain or pond - 58% Modern garden furniture - 54% Artificial lawn/grass - 40% A third commented: 'You have the patience of a saint! Worth the wait and hard work looks fab.' Not only this, but someone else chimed in and beamed: 'Very lovely, you have a lot of patience. Good job!!' Similar to this, one woman gushed: 'It's giving Santorini vibes.' Meanwhile, one user asked: 'Did you seal it to stop it wearing?' To this, Emma wrote back and confirmed: 'Not yet, that's next on my list.' At the same time, one user wrote: ' unfortunately, it's not going to you are not planning to step on even then, the rain will make them green…experience talking…' However, in response, Emma responded and penned: 'I'm not expecting them to stay perfect, I'll probably end up painting them every year with a different design.'
Daily Mail
37 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Royal secrets behind the State Opening of Parliament, from the late Queen's trick for wearing the heavy crown jewels to the poignant moment Charles filled in for his mother
During her 70-year reign, Queen Elizabeth II presided over every State Opening of Parliament, bar three. She faced the tricky task of flawlessly reading the Government's legislative programme while wearing the Imperial State Crown, which weighs 2.3lb (1kg). The Mail's Robert Hardman revealed in his book Charles III: New King. New Court that Her Majesty would ask for the crown to be delivered to her the day before the State Opening. That would allow the late monarch to practise wearing the historic headpiece - which is encrusted with 2,868 diamonds and has 269 pearls, 17 sapphires, 11 emeralds and four rubies - and minimise the risk of mishaps on the day itself. The Queen had a similar train of thought when preparing for her coronation in 1953. After her father King George VI died aged 56 in February 1952, the Queen had 16 months before her big moment in Westminster Abbey. Though it rained, the day saw few mistakes, thanks to copious preparation, including several rehearsals involving the Queen herself. King Charles recently recalled in a new film, Coronation Girls, how his mother would wear St Edward's Crown, which is worn during coronations, around Buckingham Palace, including during the children's bath times. The documentary follows the story of 50 young women from Canada who travelled to the UK for the Queen's Coronation after being sponsored by Canadian businessman and philanthropist Garfield Weston Charles recalled to the women: 'I remember it all so well then, because I remember my sister and I had bath time in the evening. 'My mama used to come up at bath time wearing the crown to practice. You have to get used to how heavy it is. I've never forgotten, I can still remember it vividly.' It is a heart-warming story the monarch has shared before, including in a BBC tribute for the Queen's Diamond Jubilee in 2012. Charles said: 'I remember my Mama coming, you know, up, when we were being bathed as children, wearing the crown. It was quite funny – practising.' The Queen's final State Opening of Parliament was in 2021, when she presided over the socially distanced event just one month after her husband Prince Philip passed away. Charles and Camilla were both present to watch as the Queen gave what turned out to be her final speech in the House of Lords. Elizabeth did not wear the Imperial State Crown or ceremonial robes, however, and wore what royal officials described as 'day dress' instead - a coat and a hat - because of Covid restrictions making it less of a ceremonial event. For her final years, the monarch's Imperial State Crown was carried separately and placed on a table in the House of Lords. In May 2022, just a few months before the Queen's death, she had to pull out of the State Opening of Parliament on the advice of her doctor. It was the first time in 59 years that the monarch would not preside over the event. She had previously only missed the event twice in her entire reign - in 1959 and 1963, while pregnant. Charles sat in the consort's throne, used by his father Prince Philip for decades, and delivered the Queen's Speech in his mother's place. The Imperial State Crown - the greatest symbol of British sovereign power and authority - was carried to Westminster in a limousine with Britain's Crown Jeweller. Once at Parliament, it was placed on a velvet cushion on a table in front of Charles. Poignantly, there was an empty space next to him, where the Queen's slightly larger throne would usually be located. He would soon deliver this speech as King himself, in November 2023, following his mother's death.
