On the other hand, and what this documentary really drives home with actual footage of the Royal Family interacting with Edwards over four decades, is that the truth is much more complicated. Edwards himself explains it in a Zoom interview from London, where he is preparing to cover the coronation this weekend. At 86, Arthur Edwards is still active and refuses to retire. His next assignment as a photographer will be a first even for a veteran royal photographer like him: namely, a coronation.

Diana changed everything, as Edwards points out in the Stuff interview. Edwards says the royal family was previously more stand-offish and rarely interacted with the press, except to talk about the weather. When Lady Di appeared on the scene, the media became more aggressive, bent on turning the public’s obsession with her into a lucrative business. As one of the main players, The Sun spent a large fortune on sending Edwards wherever the Prince and Princess went: “I went on Charles and Diana’s honeymoon,” he says. “When they went skiing, I went skiing. I didn’t go for the first or second day – I went for the whole two weeks. It was a circus. When Diana got on a plane, 30 of us got on the plane with her. Those were the greedy years – the ‘Go, go, go, get, get, get’ years.” Veteran royal photographer Arthur Edwards has opened up about the '180 turnaround' of Harry in recent years- and what he was like before all the drama. Photo / Getty Images Having taken the first public photo of Diana, Edwards also lived through the drama of her death. In between, he watched her two sons, Princes William and Harry grow up. He is a staunch supporter of King Charles and the Queen consort, Camilla, and went from being an aggressive photographer to a friendly acquaintance who is incredibly loyal to his ‘subjects.’ Around midnight on an August evening in 1997, Edwards was heading home from a wedding when he received a call from The Sun. Diana had been in a car accident in Paris. As the night wore on, he learnt that the Princess’ companion, Dodi Fayed, had not survived.The British media intruded on royal family holidays, where they often posed for photographers, hoping they would then be left alone. He’d say, ‘I didn’t like that picture you did, Arthur’, or ‘So-and-so got this quote wrong’. But he said, ‘I always try to give you guys good pictures’. In Behind the Crown, which came out in November 2022, Edwards writes Camilla "has such a wonderful sense of fun" and "brought a spring to Charles's step." Edwards’ thrilling job required him to spend long periods away from his supportive wife, Ann, and their three children. Instead, he chronicled the childhoods of two little princes. The publisher said: “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 past 50 years of the British monarchy, from a truly unique perspective.”

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. After a lifetime of work experience, Charles will enjoy his coronation in May. While Edwards doesn’t know where he will be positioned on the day, his only wish is to photograph the King wearing his crown.

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In his book, Harry explains that he grew up as a traumatised child trapped inside a family business. Is it possible that he simply played the role of the charming prince – a role he felt duty-bound to perform in public – while suffering in private? The photographer in question is Arthur Edwards, a legend of Fleet Street and 43-year veteran of covering the Royal Family’s highs and lows, both their big moments and the more quotidian ones. The joshing turns to warmth: “I’m glad you are making a program on him,” Charles concludes.