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Royal's Night Ride: Photo Captures Historic Arrest
20 Feb
Summary
- Photographer pursued royal for six hours after arrest news broke.
- The final photo, taken in darkness from a moving car, went global.
- This shot is considered one of the most important news photos ever.
An unprecedented arrest of a former royal, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, led to a globally recognized photograph captured by Phil Noble. After news broke, Noble traveled six hours to Norfolk, eventually receiving a tip that directed him to Aylsham police station.
Despite initial plans to leave, Noble was called back as Mountbatten-Windsor's cars arrived. The resulting image, taken from a moving vehicle in darkness through a car windscreen, faced numerous photographic challenges including focus and exposure.
Noble's final frame was sharp and well-composed, becoming the defining image of the story. He acknowledged the significant role of luck in such difficult car shots, comparing the modern digital capture to a single frame in the film era.
This 'old school' news day underscored the value of real moments in journalism, with Noble deeming the photo one of his most important due to its newsworthiness, even if not his best technically.




