As one of the most famous women in the world, Princess Diana was regularly photographed by members of the paparazzi. In a new interview, royal photographer Arthur Edwards—whom Diana once called her "favorite"—has reflected on his career, including the moments he isn't proud of.
As part of The Sun's "Life Stories" YouTube series, Edwards revealed, "When I started doing the job, I wasn't bothered one way about the Royal Family." He continued, "The thing about the newspaper business is you can't come back empty handed, editors don't want excuses, they want pictures." As a result, Edwards was sometimes "aggressive" in his approach, and even did things he'd "be ashamed of today."
Pointing to one low point in particular, Edwards said, "I went to the Bahamas in 1982 while Diana was pregnant with William and photographed her in a bikini on the beach with Charles." He continued, "There would be uproar over that now."
Explaining how he got the infamous photograph, the 84-year-old revealed, "It was probably one of the things I regret because they didn't see me as I was hiding in the bushes."
Edwards went on to develop a good working relationship with Princess Diana and other members of the Royal Family. Discussing his technique for balancing being a press photographer with diplomacy, Edwards told the outlet, "Most people are nice and if you're pleasant you'll get a similar reception back is what I have always found."
The photographer continued, "One of the most iconic photographs I took of Diana in the see-through skirt in 1980 was taken because I traveled to the nursery she was working at and asked her nicely...I always say, you get more with sugar than you do with vinegar."
The photographer even had a funny exchange with the former Princess of Wales after photographing her during her royal tour of Australia in 1983. Edwards shared, "During the tour, Diana asked me how much I was paid for the pictures and I said, 'Nothing, ma'am...I just got expenses like I was doing a court case.'" According to Edwards, Diana responded by smiling and saying, "Pass me the Kleenex." He continued, "She wasn't offended, so I felt a lot better about it after that."
