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Royal photographer Arthur Edwards says he arranged for Princess Kate to receive a camera after she asked about his equipment during a 2012 visit to the Solomon Islands. He recalled keeping his role in the gift a secret from Prince William, who later noticed Kate had a camera like Edwards’s.
Royal photographer Arthur Edwards says he arranged a camera for Princess Kate after she asked about his equipment during a 2012 visit to the Solomon Islands, a gift he says helped start her interest in photography. Edwards recounted the episode on Hello! magazine’s A Right Royal Podcast, adding that he initially kept his part in the camera’s arrival from Prince William.
Edwards said he showed Kate how his camera worked during the Solomon Islands visit. In his account, she asked to speak with him privately, and he offered to arrange a camera for her. “I went over and showed her the camera and showed her what it does and I said, ‘Would you like one?’ And she said, ‘Yes,’” he recalled. Edwards said he then contacted the camera company and asked it to send her one.
He also described a later encounter in Bhutan, where he was taking photographs with a small camera as William and Kate came down a mountain. Edwards recalled William remarking, “Catherine’s got a camera just like that!” Edwards said he did not tell William he had arranged the earlier camera. The report does not specify the exact date of the Bhutan encounter or how long after the Solomon Islands visit it occurred.
Kate has since become known for taking photographs, including pictures shared publicly through royal channels and on social media, according to the source report. Edwards told the story while promoting his book, Cup of Tea, Arthur?: My Extraordinary 50 Years Photographing the Royal Family. His account offers a personal recollection of how the hobby began; it is not a formal announcement from the palace.
A Camera Behind Kate’s Photography
The anecdote adds a specific origin story to a hobby that has become part of Kate’s public image. Her photographs have appeared in official royal communications, so the account connects a routine moment on tour with a skill she later used in a public-facing role.
It also illustrates how an exchange with a photographer could introduce a member of the royal family to the tools of the trade. Edwards’s account is notable as a first-person recollection, but the source material does not establish that the gift alone caused Kate’s lasting interest. The story is a small personal detail rather than a change in royal duties or policy.
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From Solomon Islands to Bhutan
The events described took place during overseas royal travel. Edwards places the camera conversation on a 2012 visit to the Solomon Islands, where he was working as a royal photographer. The later Bhutan episode, as he remembered it, provided a moment when William noticed Kate had a camera similar to his.
Edwards has spent decades photographing the royal family and was discussing the episode while promoting a book about his career. The source report attributes the details to his podcast appearance. It does not give an independent account from Kate or William, nor does it identify the camera model or company.
“I went over and showed her the camera and showed her what it does and I said, ‘Would you like one?’ And she said, ‘Yes.’”
— Arthur Edwards, speaking on Hello! magazine’s A Right Royal Podcast
Details the Account Does Not Establish
The episode is based on Edwards’s recollection on a podcast, and the source material includes no comment from Kate or William confirming the details. The exact timing of the Bhutan encounter, the camera’s make and model, and whether the company sent it directly to Kate are not specified.
It is also unclear precisely when photography became a regular hobby for Kate or how much the camera influenced that development. Edwards described the gift as an early inspiration, but the available account does not establish a complete timeline of her interest or training.
Edwards’s Book and the Anecdote
Edwards is promoting Cup of Tea, Arthur?: My Extraordinary 50 Years Photographing the Royal Family, and the podcast appearance forms part of that publicity. No further announcement about Kate’s photography or the camera is included in the source report.
Readers can expect the story to remain a personal anecdote unless Kate, William, or the palace offers additional detail. For now, the confirmed development is Edwards’s public account of arranging the camera and keeping the gift’s origins from William at the time.
Key Questions
What hobby did Arthur Edwards help inspire for Princess Kate?
Edwards says he helped spark Kate’s interest in photography by arranging a camera for her.
When and where did the camera conversation happen?
Edwards places it during a 2012 visit to the Solomon Islands. He said Kate asked about his camera and accepted his offer to arrange one.
Did Prince William know Edwards arranged the camera?
According to Edwards, William did not know at the time. Edwards said he stayed quiet when William later noticed Kate had a camera like his.
Has the palace confirmed Edwards’s account?
The source report does not include a palace statement or comments from Kate or William. The details are attributed to Edwards’s podcast recollection.
Source: marieclaire.com
