Prince Andrew’s 1995 Photo Book Mocked Again
Prince Andrew has come under renewed scrutiny after a little-known attempt at a photography career resurfaced, reviving criticism of a 1995 book he published while still a working royal. The episode has prompted fresh comparisons with modern celebrity “nepo baby” creative ventures and has been linked by commentators to wider debate about privilege and access.
RadarOnline.com reported that Prince Andrew, 66, released a photography book in 1995 titled Photographs: Andrew, Prince Duke of York, and wrote in its foreword that it was “a book by me, tyro-photographer, rather than by me, member of the Royal Family.”
In the same foreword, the project was described as “a small slice of autobiography recording memories and impressions,” and the collection included images of royal life as well as public figures such as actress Finola Hughes. The report said Prince Andrew later acknowledged technical shortcomings in some of the pictures, including photographs featuring a young Prince Harry, and defended one image by saying: “What were they expecting, a Snowdon-like portrait? I’m not that brilliant.”
Critics cited at the time included Tim Hughes, then associate editor of the British Journal of Photography, who called images of Prince Harry “technically very poor,” while Professor John Hedgecoe criticised one portrait as “an absolute mess.” In more recent coverage of tensions around the Duke’s position, Prince William and Kate reportedly ‘cut off’ Prince Andrew as the Royal Family sought to distance itself from ongoing controversy.
The revived discussion around the book has also drawn parallels with Brooklyn Beckham’s 2017 photography release What I See, which was widely mocked for its captions and amateur style. The renewed attention underscores how Prince Andrew’s past public projects continue to be reassessed against current conversations about celebrity, opportunity and the standards applied to high-profile figures.
