Colin Edwards has spent more than five decades photographing the Royal Family[MERCURY]Colin Edwards, 73, has spent thousands of pounds following the Royals over five decades and his stalwart presence has gained him their trust and admiration – perhaps helped by the fact that he does not use his snaps to make money.
The former civil servant has received letters of thanks from the Palace for his beautiful pictures of the Queen, Queen Mother and Princess Diana.
Many of his pictures reveal a more intimate side of the Royals as they often seem to deliberately cast a smile his way.
In a letter sent to Mr Edwards from the Queen's Deputy Private Secretary Kenneth Scott, dated April 21, 1992, it is said that the Queen was "delighted" to see his photographs.
It said: "No Royal visit would be complete without a selection of splendid Edwards photographs, and The Queen was delighted to see you in Chester and to receive those lovely photographs of Wakefield."
Mr Edwards has racked up thousands of miles following the Royals around the world [MERCURY]
Princess Diana flashes Mr Edwards a smile [MERCURY]I'm always on cloud nine after meeting Her Majesty
Mr Edwards, from Ruthin, North Wales, said that his passion for the Royal family was born when he watched the Queen's coronation on June 2, 1953, when he was just 12.
He said: "My family was one of the first in the street to own a television, so our lounge was filled with friends and neighbours for the event.
"The atmosphere was fantastic, and I'm proud to say that I've been a Royalist ever since."
His first photograph - of which he has now taken more than 1,000 - was captured in 1977 of the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh in the Silver Jubilee year.
Mr Edwards' hobby took off from there and he has clocked up thousands of miles following the Royals across the world, often waiting for hours to get the perfect picture.
The photographer exchanges a word with the People's Princess [MERCURY]
Mr Edwards often managed to get up close and personal with the Royals [MERCURY]
The Queen Mother attends one of the photographer's exhibitions [MERCURY]He said: "I get such a buzz from it.
"I'm always on cloud nine after meeting Her Majesty."
"It is the anticipation of this euphoria which keeps me going, no matter how long I have to wait or how cold it gets. Everyone is there for the same reason."
The Royalist's amazing images are now being published in a book entitled A Personal Portrait of The Royal Family, which will be released on April 10.
The collection will be released in a book in April [MERCURY]
Mr Edwards is able to recall many of his meetings with the Royals [MERCURY]
Some of the letters sent from the Palace [MERCURY]Although he has never kept a diary, Mr Edwards said that thanks to his photographs and a good memory, he was able to record his Royal encounters.
Some of his favourite memories are recounted in the book, including the first time Diana, Princess of Wales, addressed him by name, and his delight at The Queen Mother attending one of his photography exhibitions.
The Queen apparently had a collection of the amateur's photographs [MERCURY]
The Queen Mother was also the subject of Mr Edwards' photos [MERCURY]He said: I never expected that my experiences would be turned into a book so it never occurred to me to write anything down.
"I just want people, royalists like myself, to enjoy it."
A Personal Portrait of The Royal Family can be ordered from the Candy Jar Books website: www.candyjarbooks.co.uk
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