Meghan Markle and Prince Harry celebrated their sixth wedding anniversary on Sunday, May 19, but one royal photographer recently revealed the harsh reality of trying to photograph the Duke and Duchess of Sussex on their big day.
"I was there I hated the day, it was a miserable day," Arthur Edwards told an outlet. "I can tell you now it was the worst royal engagement I ever did, the worst royal wedding I ever did because Harry was determined to keep the newspapers away from it as much as possible."
"Everything was done on long lenses. It was hopeless. And when they went past in the carriage, they turned away from me," he continued.
Over the years, the Duke of Sussex has been open about his relationship with the British media and sued various tabloids over accusations of phone hacking and unethical journalistic practices.
"I felt it was deliberate, with the British press, in many ways they were badly treated," the professional shared. "Harry was angry at us about things said about Meghan. Some of the things were pretty harsh. Some were pretty unfair."
"He was angry and I felt we were punished for that," Edwards noted.
Although the historic moment was challenging for the shutterbug, the duo shared an intimate moment from their reception dinner in their popular Netflix series Harry & Meghan.
“Let’s call this a modern fairytale. Once upon a time, there was a girl from L.A. Some people called her ‘an actress,'" Meghan told guests. “And there was a guy from London. Some people called him ‘a prince.' All of those people didn’t fully get it. Because this is the love story of a boy and a girl who were meant to be together."
While celebrating their union, the Suits star hinted at some of the challenges they faced early in their romance.
"And after a month of long-distance courtship, they settle into the quiet of Botswana. And amidst whatever momentary worries that creep in, they look at each other and think, whatever world we’re in," Meghan continued. “They would love and garden and travel and laugh, and rack up more air miles than any couple could have."
“And when the tides were rough, they squeezed each other tighter. ‘Nothing can break us,’ they’d say. ‘For this love, she was a fighter," she noted.
Their nuptials were reportedly watched by 1.9 billion people, but the partners were unable to keep the lavish gifts friends, fans and brands sent. OK! previously reported the Sussexes were forced to return $8.9 million worth of gifts.
“The reason for this was because palace aides wanted to prevent people and companies from using the newlywed Duke and Duchess of Sussex for publicity,” an outlet reported. “It was previously reported that Harry and Meghan had to return£7 million (almost $9 million USD) in wedding gifts for that very reason.”
The Sussexes' inability to accept the pricey offerings was due to a policy that all working royals follow.
“The fundamental principle governing the acceptance of gifts by members of the royal family is that no gifts, including hospitality or services, should be accepted which would, or might appear to, place the member of the royal family under any obligation to the donor,” official guidelines read.
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Edwards spoke to The Sun.