There have been lots of conventional eulogies to the late Duke of Edinburgh, so we thought we’d remember his ‘unique’ relationship with photographers instead.
Prince Philip certainly didn’t suffer fools gladly and as a busy senior royal, could get impatient; the classic example being the time he told a photographer to “just take the f***ing picture,’ during an event in 2015 to mark the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Britain (cue nervous laughter).
On an earlier visit to India, he was also heard to say ‘I hope he breaks his bloody neck’ after seeing a photographer fall out of tree.
Yet there is another side to all this and it would be wrong to stereotype the Duke as somebody with a dislike of photographers generally.
The royal family’s issues with paparazzi are well documented, but Philip would happily work with non-press photographers. Back in 2007, for instance, Lord Snowdon took some wonderful images of him and the Queen for a stamp to mark their diamond wedding anniversary.
He also told biographer Gyles Brandreth, ““I go out of my way to line people up for photographers … to make sure the photographers have got what they need. I always have.” RIP.
