A furious exchange at Highgrove in 1980 could have deepened the divide between the British royal family and the press. Instead, it became a defining moment in the unlikely relationship between King Charles and veteran royal photographer Arthur Edwards, whose blunt retort, "At least I've got a job!", captured the hostility of their early encounters.

Edwards, now 86, spent five decades photographing the royal family for The Sun, pursuing exclusive images and following royal engagements around the world. His relationship with Charles began long before the latter became king, when the photographer's relentless approach frequently put him at odds with royal security and the future monarch.

The confrontation at Highgrove reflected a time when tabloid photographers and the royal household often clashed over access, privacy and the pursuit of exclusive pictures. Yet the friction did not last forever. Over the years, the two developed a relationship marked by humor, familiarity and mutual respect.

Edwards first crossed paths with Charles in 1976, when he was working on the front line of British tabloid journalism. His determination to capture royal photographs made him a persistent presence around the royal family, sometimes testing the patience of those responsible for protecting them.

Charles later recalled Edwards pursuing the royals across the world, including crawling through undergrowth to secure photographs. Edwards has since acknowledged that his approach in those early years was aggressive.

"He's very forgiving, you know," Edwards said while reflecting on their early clashes. "In those early days, my God, I was aggressive."

The 1980 confrontation at Highgrove became a particularly memorable episode. As Charles galloped away on horseback, Edwards shouted, "At least I've got a job!" The remark distilled the tension between a photographer determined to secure a story and a royal figure who had little reason to welcome his pursuit.

Edwards' work extended beyond photographing official ceremonies. He also played a role in bringing major royal developments to the public. In 1980, he helped lead Fleet Street's efforts to identify Lady Diana Spencer as Charles' new romantic interest.

After Charles and Diana announced their engagement, Edwards sent a congratulatory telegram to Buckingham Palace. Charles responded with a characteristically dry remark: "I trust you won't be made redundant."

The exchange suggested that their relationship was beginning to move beyond confrontation. Although Edwards continued working as a press photographer, the two developed a familiarity that endured through decades of royal events and personal milestones.

The relationship also gave Edwards an unusual perspective on the monarchy. Queen Elizabeth II received a selection of his photographs each year and reportedly pasted them into her private diaries during summer holidays at Balmoral.

When she presented Edwards with his Member of the Order of the British Empire medal in 2003, she joked that she could not believe she was giving it to him. Edwards responded with a quip of his own, saying the letters stood for "Much Bigger Expenses."

The photographer's relationship with the royal family was often characterised by teasing and informal exchanges. Diana, Princess of Wales, once called attention to his appearance during a rain-soaked engagement, asking whether he was wearing his tweed flat cap for a bet.

Prince Harry also played a prank on Edwards during an official visit, pressing a purple paint handprint onto the photographer's head as members of the press laughed.

But Edwards' closest professional connection remained with Charles. In 2018, Charles described him as "a very good photographer, a jolly good bloke and a very special person."

Edwards has also explained the formality that continues to define their relationship: "He calls me Arthur, and I call him Sir. It's a good arrangement."

He credits the king with helping give him a remarkable career and says he remains impressed by Charles' stamina during official engagements.

Edwards recounts these encounters in his forthcoming memoir, Cup of Tea, Arthur? My Extraordinary 50 Years Photographing the Royal Family, scheduled for publication by HarperCollins on Nov. 5, according to the reference article.

His recollections offer a perspective on the monarchy from someone who spent decades documenting its public life while operating at the often-contentious boundary between royal privacy and press access.

The Highgrove confrontation remains a striking symbol of how their relationship began. What started with a shouted retort and years of persistent pursuit eventually developed into a bond built on familiarity and mutual respect.

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