A mix-up over official photographs to mark a landmark celebration for the Prince of Wales led to recriminations, clarifications and one longstanding royal employee’s departure
The Prince of Wales is celebrating his 43rd birthday today, five months after his wife Princess Kate turned the same age. And let’s hope the occasion is less dramatic than back in 2000, when Prince William’s 18th celebrations were said to have prompted a longstanding royal employee to resign.
Releasing official photographs to such a special occasion for the heir to the throne should have been straightforward. Instead, a row over copyright photos saw King Charles’ press secretary Sandy Henney reportedly fall on her sword after seven years at the helm.
Sandy had overseen an incredibly difficult time for Charles, who had separated and then gotten divorced from Princess Diana before she tragically died in a car crash in Paris in 1997.
But while she had dealt with the storm of ‘Camillagate’ and the then Princess of Wales’ infamous Panorama interview with aplomb, William’s 18th birthday celebrations were said to have proved to be her downfall.
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At the time the Prince of Wales turned 18, Buckingham Palace had a longstanding agreement with the British media not to invade William or Harry’s privacy during their education. So when Sandy reportedly gave newspaper Daily Telegraph and TV network ITN exclusive access to the prince for images to mark his landmark birthday, other news outlets were not happy.
As BBC deputy director Richard Sambrock put it: “As news organisations, we agreed to suspend competition for the sake of protecting Prince William’s interests at a sensitive time. Anything that departs from the agreed principle that all news outlets should have common access or lack of access to Prince William is completely unacceptable.”
The exclusive photos also caused an argument over copyright, for while the law automatically grants photographers copyright of their own work, Buckingham Palace would traditionally own the copyright on official photographs released in this manner, with proceeds going to charity.
Daily Telegraph editor Charles Moore said he was “appalled” at the treatment of his photographer, who went onto make a goodwill gesture. “I was offered the opportunity to take exclusive pictures of Prince William at Eton, which I was honoured to accept,” said The Telegraph’s man Ian Jones.
“The law conferred copyright to me and no suggestion has been made until today that I should donate it to the Crown. Now the suggestion has been made, I shall gladly assign the copyright as the Prince of Wales may direct.”
In an attempt to clarify matters, St James’ Palace had said in a statement: “It is a matter of deep regret that confusion has arisen over the photographs commissioned to mark Prince William’s 18th birthday. The copyright of these pictures should have been established at the time they were taken to ensure that St James’ Palace owned the copyright and that any proceeds arising from the use of the photographs went to charity as had normally happened in the past.
“The issue was not resolved and the copyright is now wrongly vested elsewhere. The Prince of Wales hopes that, in the light of the clear and consistent policy, no one should profit form pictures, either of Prince William or Prince Harry, and that those who do own the copyright will make clear that all proceeds will go to charity.
“To do otherwise would be to undermine the work of the Palace, the press and the Press Complaints Commission have all vested in the protection of Prince William and Prince Harry’s privacy.” By the time the celebrations had died down, Sandy Henney had resigned from her post.
