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How royal photography has changed in the last century

As Head of the Archive at Getty Images, Matt Butson has an intimate knowledge of multiple generations of the Royal Family, with images spanning from 1854 to the present day. But how has the way that the royals used photography changed in that time? As Getty Images celebrates 25 years, we caught up with the expert

20 Mar 2020

Princess Elizabeth watching her son Prince Charles playing in his toy car while at Balmoral, 1952

Lisa Sheridan / Getty Images

What role do you think photography plays for the Royal Family?

Much like anyone in the public eye, photography is a key part in managing one’s public image and in this sense, Royalty is no different, for example, when compared to a celebrity in the entertainment world. Since the explosion in digital media and the internet - and thus instant access and global distribution of imagery - the photograph increasingly shapes how we, the viewing audience, perceive the Royal family and though a cliché, a picture is very much worth a thousand words which transcends language barriers.

Though increasingly tightly controlled - and it’s interesting to see the Duchess of Cambridge shooting and distributing her imagery - the Royal family are hugely reliant on how they are portrayed by the media and therefore trust plays a big part in this relationship. Obviously, the Royals will want photography to play as positive a part as possible in how they come across in the media and it is always a balancing act in terms of being accessible but also guarding privacy. The press have as much a part to play in this as the Royals, and those who increasingly overstep the mark will ultimately lead to stricter privacy laws and thus less ‘access’.

HRH Edward, Prince of Wales, pictured in Malta riding in a wheelbarrow being pushed by Lord Louis Mountbatten at a polo gymkhana

Popperfoto / Getty Images

How do you think the role of Royal photography has changed since the Getty archives began?

Given the archive was effectively founded in 1854, it would be an understatement to say there is much that has changed over the past 165 years - from access to technology, the emergence of the photo press agencies and of course the internet. If you look back at the early 20th century there was no huge press pack, photographers could shoot only a few glass plates and images were often seen days - if not weeks - after the event. Even into the 1950s, colour photography sometimes appeared several months after the events. Limitations in printing technology also meant that the earliest photographs could not even be reproduced in the media until the invention of the half tone printing process in the early 1900s. The ‘ordinary man’ therefore rarely saw images of the Royals, more often lithographs or engravings instead.

The advent of film cameras, and the rise of the press agencies in the 1920s/1930s, changed this hugely but again ‘time to market’ was markedly different to today. The advent of the Royal Rota system and Royal Pool further changed things, and though it was a bit of a closed shop in being admitted into the Royal Pool (which was largely the domain of the wire agencies - it even took Getty Images many years to become part of the ‘club’) the emergence of global syndicating agencies in the 1950s and 1960s, brought with it mass distribution - bringing the Royals closer to the common man all over the world.

The fascination with Royalty has been in evidence since the time of King Canute but with the rapid development of technology - the cameras, the faster turnaround, the increased distribution and, more recently, the birth of the internet, has meant we - as Getty Images - have needed to adapt accordingly... change, as they say, is constant. It goes without saying; we’ve come a very long way since the invention of the glass plate but ultimately, it’s all about the shot and the skill of the person behind the lens, this will never change.

What have been the biggest changes in the past decade?

One of the key changes has been the birth of what is often termed UGC - user generated content. Even though ‘ordinary folk’ cannot become part of the Royal Rota or the Royal Pool, for ‘out and about’ events anyone can potentially get ‘that’ shot in theory with camera phones.

The other runaway train is the rapid rise of social media - just 10 years ago this was very different to today and the sharing and endless reposting of imagery plays a huge role in imagery being seen around the world. The emergence of the ‘Fab Four’ in William, Kate, Harry and Megan, re-ignited the clamour for Royal imagery and not a day goes by without a news story on the highs and lows of being a Royal. This insatiable demand has snowballed since William and Harry became of age and I cannot see this abating anytime soon.

We are blessed to have someone of the calibre of Chris Jackson, who has developed a very special relationship with the Palace. Not only as a first-rate photographer, but Chris’ impeccable manners and professionalism, as well as his ability to connect with folks at all levels, has played a huge part in Getty Images success in the Royal sphere. I also think the Duchess of Cambridge’s keen interest in photography has helped play a part in how the Royals view photography as a medium and has arguably led to an increased respect as to what Chris Jackson, amongst others, do - their craft, their technical ability and their innate sense of what makes a great image.

What do you think are three of the most interesting photographs in the archive?

Queen Victoria and Prince Albert in a re-enactment of their marriage ceremony, 1854

Roger Fenton / Getty Images

The Getty Images archive is home to over 130 million images, so it’s difficult to narrow it down but I’ve selected three. First is the ‘before of the flood’ as we call it - and shot by one of the UK's pioneering photographers, Roger Fenton. What makes this image interesting is that it depicts Queen Victoria with her beloved Albert on their wedding day. However, it was actually a re-enactment, and shot in 1854, some 14 years after the ‘real’ wedding. In 1840, when they got married, photography was very much in its infancy and there was a certain wariness of the new art form, certainly from a royal perspective. It was Albert’s interest in photography that possibly persuaded Queen Victoria to ‘get with the times’. Given Victoria and Albert were arguably the most famous couple on the planet at the time, it’s curious that there is so little imagery of them together.

King George V in a horse-drawn carriage at the Epsom Derby, being pursued by a beggar, 1920

Central Press / Getty Images

Second is a shot taken by The Central Press Agency of King George V at the 1920 Epsom Derby, being pursued in his carriage by a beggar with his cap poised for a few shillings. Probably taken by the legendary Jimmy Syme, there is no way on earth this kind of scene would be allowed to happen these days - no security in sight!

Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother (right), in mourning with Queen Elizabeth II and Queen Mary at the funeral of King George VI, 1952

Ron Case / Getty Images

Third is by Ron Case for the Keystone Agency, at the funeral of George VI in 1952, depicting the ‘Three Queens’ as they emerged from a back entrance of Clarence House (as opposed to the front, where the press were situated). Ron (a classic example of being in the right place at the right time) was luckily stationed at the corner of the building and spied Queen Mary, HM The Queen and the Queen Mother exiting by the back door - no one else manged to capture this shot.