A royal photographer who has photographed King Charles III since 1977 has revealed the monarch’s loving moniker when referring to the Queen Consort, Camilla.
Arthur Edwards, who has photographed the royal family for The Sun for more than four decades, reflected on how Camilla “brings out the best” in the King in his new photo book, Behind The Crown: My Life Photographing the Royal Family.
Speaking to People about his experiences, Edwards said Charles “always” refers to Camilla as “my darling wife”. The royal couple, who are set to be crowned on 6 May, married in a civil ceremony at Windsor Guildhall on 9 April 2005.
In his book, Edwards wrote that Camilla “has such a wonderful sense of fun” and “has brought a spring to Charles’ step”.
He recalled following Charles and Camilla on their first tour of the US as a married couple, when they held the titles Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall.
“I remember going to a market north of Los Angeles, and someone gave her a peach or something and [Camilla] started to eat it, which no royal would do,” he told the publication.
“But she did. She really enjoyed it. And I remember saying, ‘Diana would never do that’. But she was different. And she brought a whole new meaning for Prince Charles.”
Edwards added: “He’s now a much happier person. He’s contented. And he always refers to her as ‘my darling wife’.”
The cameraman also recalled watching Charles speak publicly about the environment and praised him for “doing everything he could to make a difference”.
“For 70 years, he waited to become the King, but he wasn’t going to sort of just sit there and play backgammon and shoot champagne,” he said.
“He was going to make a difference, and he did. He’s a pioneer for the underdog. If a big supermarket was coming to a village where all the local shops would be destroyed, he’d fight for the village.”
Edwards went on to describe the King as a “genuinely kind man” and said he has had “a great start to his reign”.
The King and Queen Consort’s coronation will take place this spring, with a bank holiday on Monday 8 May to give the country even more time to celebrate the occasion.
It marks the first royal coronation in the UK since the late Queen Elizabeth II was crowned on 2 June 1953. Charles ascended the throne after she died on 8 September 2022.
The ceremony will take place at Westminster Abbey in London and will be conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury. The King and Queen Consort will return to Buckingham Palace after the ceremony in the “coronation procession”, joined by other members of the royal family including the Prince and Princess of Wales.
They will also make an appearance on the palace balcony to conclude the day’s events. While it has not been confirmed which royals will appear on the balcony, it is expected that only working members of the family will be present.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have indicated that they have received “email correspondence” about attending the coronation, but have no disclosed their decision. However, even if they do attend, it is unlikely they will make an appearance on the palace balcony as they stepped down as senior members of the royal family in 2021.
