'I FEEL GOOD!'
The Sun’s Arthur Edwards celebrates his 80th birthday on GMB after Instagram tribute from Prince Charles
THE Sun’s Arthur Edwards celebrated his 80th birthday on Good Morning Britain after receiving a message from Prince Charles.
Arthur has been photographing the royal family for 45 years and after turning 80 years old on Tuesday he told GMB viewers today: "I feel good!"
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Speaking from his home in Essex with dozens of framed photos on the shelves behind him, and a slew of birthday cards, Arthur touched on reaching the fantastic milestone, but insisted he has no plans to retire anytime soon.
Arthur told hosts Sean Fletcher and Charlotte Hawkins: "Yeah I'm enjoying it! I'm feeling really good and I mean 80, it's just a number for me. I feel good so I'll continue to carry on working."
Asked for the secret to his youthful looks, Arthur quipped: "I do use a moisturiser, I don't know what it's called! But I work hard to look like this. I do a lot of exercise to try and keep fit. I need to do this job - it is tough."
Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall shared a tribute on social media to Arthur, with The Prince of Wales’s Twitter account Clarence House sharing the first-ever royal photo Arthur took for The Sun in 1975.
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They added: “Happy Birthday to royal photographer Arthur Edwards. He took his first royal photo in 1975 and it was the Prince of Wales feeding sugar lumps to a polo pony!”
Arthur spoke about his admiration for Prince Charles, telling GMB viewers: "In the early days we had our moments and even a couple of stand up arguments. He makes his point very clearly. But over the years I've got to like him and to love Camilla because she's just also a lovely person.
"I kind of admired what he did, Prince Charles, he is very much a visionary. He's working trying to save the planet it's not just happened, he's done this for 25 years. I've heard him appealing to presidents in Brazil and Malaysia to stop ripping down the forests.
"I got to appreciate what he said and now I've got solar panels on my roof and I've got an electric car. He's sort of had a massive influence on me without me knowing it so not only have I enjoyed working with him, I've got something out of it too."
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Arthur also praised the photography skills of Kate Middleton and said Prince William's wife doesn't need his help snapping their three kids.
He told the hosts: "I would love to have photographed Catherine's children but Catherine is such a brilliant photographer, she doesn't need anyone else. She's doing a great job too."
Arthur was stunned to discover a special birthday edition of his favourite paper on the doorstep on Tuesday.
When returning from his daily two-mile walk, Arthur discovered we had printed a special extra edition just for him and had it delivered to his home in Brentwood, Essex.
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The front page – with the headline 'MANY SNAPPY RETURNS' – was totally devoted to Arthur who, despite being in his ninth decade, refuses to give up work.
Inside were birthday tributes from royalty, politicians, colleagues and famous faces he took pictures of and became friends. Arthur admitted: “Some of them made me cry, they were so moving.”
Arthur’s birthday was also listed in our sister paper The Times alongside the great and the good, including actor Cara Delevingne and tennis champ Pete Sampras.
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