Royal photographer Arthur Edwards has described Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor as "arrogant" during a podcast, sharing several incidents from his decades of working with the royal family.
Edwards, who has spent 50 years photographing the Royal Family and joined them on more than 200 royal tours, spoke on a special episode of the Daily Express royal podcast Royals Unscripted. He said Andrew could be kind at times, but it was rarely seen.
Clash over awards ceremony
Edwards recalled one incident in which Andrew was presenting awards, including one for a picture Edwards had taken. After the ceremony, Edwards said Andrew told him: "It's alright for you lot. You can retire anytime. We can't."
Edwards replied: "Well, if I had someone drive me around, if I could park anywhere I liked, if I could have a private plane going on my holidays, who would retire? You've got a great life." He said Andrew "poo-pooed it".
Back at the office, the editor asked Edwards what was wrong. Edwards said he would have told Andrew exactly what he thought of him if he did not think he would lose his job. The editor responded: "Next time, if you don't tell him exactly what you think of it, I'm going to sack you."
Kindness on a Vietnam trip
Despite the criticism, Edwards also shared positive memories. He recalled a trip to Vietnam where Andrew was "brilliant" and agreed to everything Edwards asked. When Edwards needed to get back to London quickly and there were no flights from Vietnam to Bangkok to catch the London flight, Andrew offered a lift on his plane.
Edwards said: "He could be kind, but he never showed it much."
Security gate refusal and alleged outburst
Edwards also described a trip to Australia where Andrew "refused to go through a security gate because he was a royal". According to Edwards, Andrew's arrogance was his "undoing".
In his memoir, Edwards mentions an incident in which Andrew allegedly told a police officer boarding a boat with him to "f**k off". Edwards said: "On the ship, that was him at his worst. Just screaming at someone for no reason because he's probably in a bad mood."
