Brutal comment made to young Prince Harry by protection officer

Prince Harry has made much of his position in the royal family as the 'spare' - so much so that he famously gave the title to his memoir.

It's a role he has said was made explicitly clear and regularly reinforced throughout his life. And that's something royal photographer Arthur Edwards can attest to. 

Arthur, 86, has spent the last 50 years taking snapshots of the royal family and, as such, spent time with both Prince Harry and Prince William when they were young.

He is now preparing for the release of his book, Cup of Tea, Arthur? My Extraordinary 50 Years Photographing the Royal Family. And ahead of its publication, he sat down for an interview with the Telegraph, in which he recalled a heartbreaking incident involving Harry. 

'It's the only bleeding castle you're likely to get'

Arthur, who describes Harry as a "born comedian and mimic", recalled a moment on a beach in Norfolk in 1986.

He remembered the boys' nanny "was making a big fuss of William" ("as usual"), leaving a protection officer to tell his two-year-old brother: "Come here, Harry. I'll build you a sandcastle. 

"It's the only bleeding castle you're ever likely to get."

Elsewhere in the interview, Arthur reflected on Harry's explosive memoir, which he admits he did not finish, having watched much of its contents firsthand and been irritated by the "factual errors".

Harry was a 'great star'

While he hates the "vitriol" that he says Harry "poured on his family", Arthur admits he's glad he has returned to the UK. "I'm glad he's back, and I hope he gets involved.  He was a great star."

He also believes that Harry will be able to bounce back in Britain - "people have got short memories" - and he will be better off in his homeland rather than the States.

"There, he was a celebrity among thousands of celebrities," he said. "Here, he’s a prince of the realm. He might not be the knight in shining armour at the moment, but knowing him he’ll bounce back. People have got short memories.

"I think, hopefully, if he just stops writing books and Meghan stops making horrible jam, and they start working a bit for the family, I think things could change."

He notes that he did not approve of the comments Harry has made about his brother William and Queen Camilla in Spare but he has another pressing issue - the fact that Harry and Meghan make a point of sharing photographs of their children with their faces turned away.

"I do hope to get to see their faces one day before I die!" he told the publication. 

Cup of Tea, Arthur? My Extraordinary 50 Years Photographing the Royal Family by Arthur Edwards (£25, HarperCollins) is published on 5 November.