North East Freelance Photographer: Duchess of Cambridge visits CRI in Stockton on Tees

I was really pleased to be asked by a national charity to photograph the Duchess of Cambridge on her first visit to the North East recently. Crime Reduction Initiatives (CRI) needed a north east press, commercial and Freelance photographer with experience of photographing the royal family, and as a former press photographer with a 25 year background that includes a large number of royal visits, I was delighted to accept. 

Having seen my work online at www.davecharnleyphotography.com, CRI briefed me on photographing what was originally to be a joint visit from the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge to the charity’s Recovery Service centre on William Street in Stockton on Tees.

CRI works with people affected by drugs, alcohol, crime, homelessness, domestic abuse and antisocial behaviour, encouraging them to regain control of their lives and tackle their problems. The visit had been arranged following the Duchess’s appointment as patron of Action on Addiction in January this year, and when the Duke of Cambridge pulled out of the North East visit to attend the funeral of his former nanny, it was confirmed that the Duchess would come to the region on her own. 

My security approval from Buckingham Palace duly arrived, along with my press pass confirming my BPPA status. Over the years I’ve collected hundreds of press passes as reminders of events as diverse as Gateshead’s Spencer Tunick Naked City art installation and Radio 1 roadshows, to visits to former Prime Minister Tony Blair’s home in Sedgefield, and I’ll be pleased to add this one to my collection of press photography memorabilia. 

I arrived at the centre an hour before the royal party was due, to find barriers and security teams in place and crowds already gathering on nearby Prince Regent Street in Stockton, keen to get a good view of the woman who may be the next Queen of England. As the cars arrived a cheer went up as the crowd gave the Duchess a warm North East welcome, and hundreds of Union flags and bouquets of flowers gave me some great splashes of colour for the photos.

We live in the days of citizen journalism and many of the crowd were taking photos with their mobiles, while a press pack of photographers of ex-colleagues from newspapers including the Middlesbrough Evening Gazette and the Darlington's Northern Echo were working hard to get their shots too. You really need to work fast at events like these as there are no second chances if you miss something. 

However much preparation you do, a situation can change in the blink of a shutter. But being a professional press and pr photographer means being able to pull a great shot out of the bag under any circumstances - it wouldn’t be the done thing to ask royalty if they could just go back and get out of the car again!

As one of only a handful of security-cleared photographers on the other side of the barrier I was able to get some close ups of the very photogenic Duchess as she met some local children, including little Lola Mackey who was so overcome by excitement she forgot to hand over her flowers. One of my favourite shots from this job was the cheeky expression on her face as she walks back to her mum – definitely one for the Mackey family album!

Inside, the Duchess toured the building and I was honoured to be the only photographer accompanying her as she met with service users and staff. The Mayor of Stockton, Councillor Lynne Apedaile, was just one of the local dignitaries at a group discussion, where the Duchess listened and asked questions and generally showed how well informed she was about the work of the charity and its impact on the lives of people on Teesside.

   

The nature of CRI’s work, combined with the security aspects and royal protocol made a sensitive, unobtrusive approach to the photography vital. Years of experience meant I was able to remain in the background so as not to disturb the flow of conversation but still be confident enough to get a good range of shots that showed the Duchess’s real warmth and interest in the people she was meeting. 

Some of the photos I took indoors will be used to promote the work of the charity, but others will be kept as personal mementos by the families she met, and will probably never be seen in public. Before arriving in Stockton the Duchess had also visited Newcastle Civic Centre, Elswick Park in Newcastle, and a youth council in Gateshead so this solo tour must have been a long day for her. 

As she left the building her megawatt smile never faltered and she made sure to zig zag back and forth across the road once more to thank the crowd, before leaving just after 3pm.Everyone who met her commented on how natural and friendly she was, and I was pleased to come away with a set of photos that reflect her personality, and the joyful spirit of the day. 

It was hard to believe she has only recently joined the royal family - she was genuinely comfortable with people, laughing and joking and putting them at their ease, and she created some fantastic photo opportunities so I could record the day the world’s most famous woman visited Stockton.

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Direct Website Link to Dave Charnley Photography