Photographing Royalty, Recording History

Tuesday 13 September 2022

As Britain’s longest reigning monarch, Queen Elizabeth II had already seen her place in the history books confirmed before her death, but photographer Chris George has said it always felt like she was “incredibly normal” when he was one of those recording her iconic image.

Having moved to the island as a young man, first working for Gruts, then the Guernsey Press before building his wide portfolio of private clients which include the States of Guernsey, ‘Georgie’ photographed the Queen during her later visits to the Bailiwick.

Pictured: Chris George shared the above image on his Facebook page as his 'Georgies Pic of the Day'.

In 1989, 2001 and 2005 Her Majesty travelled to the islands for a variety of events including meeting island dignitaries at Beau Sejour and the Royal Court, scores of members of the public at L’ancresse Common and hundreds of school children at Guernsey Airport.

The visit in 1989 saw Her Majesty sail into St Peter Port Harbour aboard the Royal Yacht Britannia. Mr George said he still remembers seeing it sailing in.

“The tug that brought her in was the Duke of Normandy that was flying the Jersey flag. I always remember that, and I’ve got a picture somewhere. It was a bit naughty!

“I remember it was warm, it was summertime. She came to open the QE2 Marina and North Beach. There were shots of her on the balcony of the Royal Hotel and they made this massive Crown on the roundabout.”

Pictured: Chris George used his 'Georgies Pic of the Day' feature during Lockdown to take a nostalgic look back to events in 1989.

Mr George said he was always aware he was recording history, and for the Queen’s visit in 1989 he was not only capturing her image, but also her personality.

“That’s what I do isn’t it? I’m a recorder of history. That’s quite a privileged position to be in.

“I remember in the afternoon she did a walkabout on the Bridge and Douglas Hurd who was a top politician was over. It’s all a bit of a distant memory now, but I also covered Sark and I remember it was blistering hot and there were quite a few UK journalists and photographers had come over and we all had suits on, and it was blistering hot, and the Queen came past us and looked us straight in the face and said ‘aren’t you boys hot?’.”

Laughing at his recollections, Mr George said by photographing royalty, he has enjoyed some privileges himself which are not usually available to the public.

Pictured: Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II during her final visit to the island in 2005 (Chris George).

“One of the great things about doing royal visits and being an official photographer is that I’m one of the few people who have flown into Sark, or to Herm.

“What they do is, the royals will be in the royal helicopter and we were in this massive great Merlin helicopter, and the flags poles are all bending as we come in to land!”

Royal life comes with many restrictions and regulations, but capturing their images has always been a pretty informal affair in the Bailiwick.

“You’ve got to keep a certain distance, but it’s not so bad in Guernsey. In the UK you see all these pens and ladders and things for the reporters and photographers. In Guernsey we’ve got much more freedom to move about. I was never given a list of ‘you don’t do this and you don’t do that’, it was always just common sense that you didn’t get too close. Of course, with long lenses and things you don’t have to be.”

Pictured: Queen Elizabeth II meeting Davids Hands, in Guernsey in 2005 (Chris George). 

Having grown up with Queen Elizabeth II as Monarch, Mr George said like other people it will now be interesting to see how the new King takes to the role.

“We’ve only ever known the Queen, we’ve never known any other Monarch. My parents would have known a King, but my generation have only ever known the Queen,” he commented.

“I’ve photographed Prince Charles, and I remember once when he came over he went to Herm, and it was blowing an absolute gale. There was some talk of calling it off but Prince Charles said no, and so we went ahead on the Herm boat, and he came over, and when we got off the boat Prince Charles looked quite dishevelled and the headline on The Sun the next day was ‘The Prince of Gales!’ “

Laughing at his fond recollections of the many royal visits he has covered, Mr George said he learned some valuable skills himself, while watching the Queen in action.

“One thing you do learn about being a photographer is the art of walking backwards without falling over!

Above: Chris George was asked to act as Official Photographer for the States of Guernsey for the weekend's Proclamation events.

“What I would say is with the Queen is she worked with the photographers.

“I got the impression that she was down to earth. It was more the detectives and the people that are around her, but I’ve got pictures of her smiling direct into the camera which you don’t often get.

“She unveiled a stone at the roundabout, when De Vic Carey was Bailiff and she walked from the roundabout to half way along the Quay and there were crowds everywhere. The Duke went one side and she went the other and she was chatting and you can see peoples’ faces and they’re just smiling and she’s smiling at them. There was nothing false about it.  You can tell how the Queen is so well loved.

“I actually think she was just a down to earth, normal person. For all the pomp and ceremony and grandeur, she was obviously very level headed and she just got on with the job.

“It’s been a privilege to photograph these visits – but it was very easy, and I’ve got some lovely pictures where she is beaming, and there’s a sincerity in that.

“Her last visit in 2005, she was talking to some pensioners who were lined up at Beau Sejour and she was having a chat like it was over the garden fence. So, I would say, despite what a weird life having been brought up in all that, she was incredibly normal.”

Pictured top: Chris George photographer Queen Elizabeth II on her visits to the Bailiwick, including in 2005.

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