One of the people I remember fondly from my earliest days in journalism is Arthur Edwards, now The Sun's royal photographer. Back in the early 1960s he was snapping away on the streets of Barking and Dagenham. On Saturdays he was to be found behind the goalmouth at Upton Park capturing pictures of his beloved West Ham. He was, and still is, one of the happiest of characters, exuding the kind of warmth that defies people to dislike him.
That's why he has managed to rub along with the royal family despite annoying them so often. He reveals in an Independent interview today an interesting exchange with Prince Charles, a man whom Arthur admires. He was walking along a public track near Highgrove with his long lens camera when confronted by the prince, who was on horseback.
Charles: "What are you doing!"
Arthur: "I'm just doing a job."
Charles: "Some job."
Arthur: "At least I've got a job."
Exit Charles at a gallop.
What I find so interesting about Arthur's views of the royal family is that, though he professes to like most of them as individuals (and I'm sure he does), his experiences - like the one I've just quoted - make an excellent case for republicanism. His anecdotes reveal the anachronistic position they hold in an age where they have become just another group of celebrities for the media and for the majority of their "subjects".
Arthur says of the heir to the throne: "I've always defended him because it's a terrible life that he's got. If he doesn't speak out about what's happening in the world, on poor architecture or complementary medicine, what sort of life would it be? Opening fetes, pulling plaques? He's not just got this life until he's 65, he's got it until he dies."
And, of course, he has the media too, reminding everyone of his supposed inadequacies and intruding on his privacy. As I've often observed, the royal family could save themselves all this trouble if they simply stepped aside. Perhaps, in deference to Arthur, they could time their retirement to coincide with his.
