Prince William was a young boy on a family skiing holiday when he asked royal photographer Arthur Edwards to stop taking pictures. More than three decades later, Edwards still remembers how unhappy he looked.
The veteran Sun photographer believes William’s childhood experiences help explain why he is determined to give his own children more privacy.
Edwards described the encounter in Channel 5’s Prince George: How to Make a Monarch, which aired on March 1, 2025. His recollection resurfaced in InStyle on October 18.
The renewed attention comes weeks after Prince George, 13, began attending Eton College. William, 44, and Princess Kate also share Princess Charlotte, 11, and Prince Louis, 8.
A Ski Trip Photo Call Became Too Much for William
Edwards estimated that William was about 9 or 10 during the encounter in Switzerland, where the family had agreed to pose for photographers.
“Please, Arthur, no more pictures, no more pictures,” William told him, according to Edwards’ recollection.
“My God, how he suffered,” Edwards said in the documentary.
He had also discussed the exchange during a December 24, 2024 episode of The Royals with Roya and Kate, describing the aggressive newspaper competition that surrounded William and Prince Harry as children.
Edwards recalled photographers covering the beginning and end of school terms, along with outings such as William attending a school play. Looking back, he acknowledged feeling bad about the pressure, although he said such coverage had been routine across newspapers.
He criticized some present-day restrictions on photographers but supported William’s efforts to keep his children’s lives private.
William Says Press Intrusion Damaged His Family Life
William addressed his childhood more broadly in an October 3, 2025 episode of Apple TV+’s The Reluctant Traveler with Eugene Levy. Their conversation included a visit to Windsor Castle and a stop at a nearby pub.
As Vanity Fair reported, William recalled the relentless demand for details about his parents’ lives and the damage that attention could cause within a family.
“I take a very strong line about where I think that line is,” he said of protecting his own family’s privacy.
Charles and Diana divorced in 1996, when William was 14. He told Levy that childhood stress could carry into adulthood and that he wanted to learn from his own parents’ mistakes.
He also discussed supporting his children while Kate and King Charles underwent cancer treatment in 2024, describing that period as the hardest year he had experienced.
George’s Eton Arrival Had a Limited Media Presence
William and Kate accompanied George to Eton on September 8, 2026. Carrying umbrellas in the rain, they walked with him to meet headmaster Simon Henderson and provost Sir Nicholas Coleridge.
Town & Country reported that a small number of media representatives attended to capture material for wider distribution. George’s arrival was documented without the large press gathering that had greeted his father.
George wore a dark blazer and tie for the arrival. Separate portraits released by Kensington Palace showed him in Eton’s traditional uniform, including a black tailcoat. The photographs were taken by Matt Porteous, whose images were published by Sky News.
William had begun at the same school in September 1995, with Charles, Diana and Harry beside him. George’s move followed four years at Lambrook, where Charlotte and Louis continue their education.
School Runs, Shared Dinners and Time Outdoors
Before George’s move to boarding school, William’s 2025 interview offered a picture of the routines he and Kate valued at home.
According to ITV News, he tried to arrange work around school timetables so he could help with drop-offs and pickups. Family dinners gave everyone time to sit together and talk.
At the time of the interview, William said none of the children had their own phones. He also wanted George to grow up proud of royal work that improved other people’s lives.
He also described the children’s interests: George enjoyed soccer and hockey, Charlotte liked netball and ballet, and Louis and Charlotte spent time together on the trampoline.