Arthur Edwards, a renowned British photographer known for his work with The Sun newspaper and his expertise in capturing the British Royal Family, has spoken out about Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding day, describing it as "miserable" and the "worst event" he had ever attended. In an exclusive interview on The Sun's YouTube channel, Edwards shared his disappointment with the couple's treatment of the press on their big day.
"I hated the day. The day was a miserable day," Edwards said. "I can tell you now, it was the worst royal wedding I ever did." The veteran photographer, who has toured with the Royal Family on numerous occasions, including the Queen's tour of Australia and New Zealand and Prince Harry's gap-year trip to Africa, noted how Harry was "determined" to keep the press away from his wedding "as much as possible."
Edwards spoke of the challenges faced by photographers, such as the need for long lenses to capture snapshots and how Harry and Meghan turned away from him in their carriage, making it difficult to get a good shot. "Everything was done on long lenses. It was hopeless. And when they went past in the carriage, they turned away from me," he said, describing the day as a "disaster."
The royal photographer also alluded to the unwelcoming atmosphere experienced by the British press on the day of the royal wedding. "In many ways, they were badly treated," Edwards added, suggesting that the couple's actions were a form of punishment for the press. "Harry was angry at us about things said about Meghan. Some of the things were pretty harsh. Some were pretty unfair. He was angry and I felt we were punished for that."
Comparing Harry and Meghan's wedding to other royal nuptials he had covered, Edwards praised the "really lovely" weddings of Prince Charles, Prince William, Prince Andrew, and Prince Edward and Sophie. However, he couldn't wait to leave Windsor after the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's ceremony. "I've done some really lovely royal weddings, I did both of Charles', William's, Andrew's, Sophie and Edward's. But on this one, I couldn't get out of Windsor quick enough," he said.
Reactions to Edwards' comments on social media were mixed, with some agreeing that the guests at Harry and Meghan's wedding looked miserable, while others criticized the photographer for his remarks. One person wrote, "Edwards tried to be as gracious as possible about the couple right after Megxit. At this point, he has clearly just had enough."
Despite the controversy surrounding their wedding day, Harry and Meghan recently celebrated their sixth wedding anniversary. Royal experts Ingrid Seward and Richard Fitzwilliams shared their insights on how the couple might have marked the occasion. Seward suggested that Harry may have treated Meghan to a piece of jewelry and that they likely celebrated in a low-key fashion, while Fitzwilliams noted that the duke and duchess appear to be well-matched, despite the public's varying opinions of them.
The royal wedding, which took place on May 19, 2018, at St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle, was a star-studded affair attended by 600 guests, including the Clooneys, the Beckhams, and Elton John. The occasion is estimated to have cost £32 million, covering everything from security and catering to Meghan's stunning dress. The couple was greeted by rapturous crowds of more than 100,000 people as they were taken through Windsor in a carriage.
