#HappyBirthdayYourMajesty

Today is the day where Queen Elizabeth II becomes not only the longest reigning monarch in British history, but the first to reach the age of 90. Massive congratulations are in order!

Lovely author and passionate Royal-watcher Colin Edwards has been making the headlines too this week, and even made a television appearance in BBC documentary "The Day I Met the Queen" lead by Aled Jones, in the run up to the historic event of Queen Elizabeth II's 90th birthday today!

Credit: ITV Cymru

Over the past thirty years, Colin has met the Queen hundreds of times and has taken over six thousand of snaps of her. Colin is a familiar face to many members of the Royal Family, and was always referred to by name by Princess Diana - "Boys, come and meet my friend Colin!"

Colin says: “You’ve got to have a lot of stamina and be prepared to wait for hours sometimes, standing behind the barriers at the front. The Queen has obviously got to know me very well now, and she will come over and have a few words.”

Photograph from A Personal Portrait of the Royal Family

From these warm interactions, Colin has collected an impressive touching and honest portfolio of photographs, capturing a more personal and natural side to the Royal Family, displayed in his book published in 2014, A Personal Portrait of the Royal Family.

Colin continues: “My photographs are different because, unlike the paparazzi and professionally taken photographs, these were taken for my own pleasure. Yes I am an amateur, but my photographs benefit from that, they capture Her Majesty’s informality”

Credit: Ian Lang (Twitter)

In celebration of the historic 90th birthday, Colin is hosting a fortnight-long photography exhibition in his home town of Ruthin in North Wales, where he's displaying previously unseen photographs of Queen Elizabeth.

He also was interviewed by Aled Jones in a BBC five-part documentary “The Day I Met the Queen” which started on April 18th, and he has written a poem for the Queen which he sent to Windsor Castle as a birthday present, as is his tradition. Colin's photograph exhibition marking the Diamond Jubilee in 2000 was even attended by the Queen Mother herself (albeit with a few bodyguards as +1s)

“The Queen Mother attended my exhibition to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee accompanied by several bodyguards. She stayed admiring my photographs for nearly an hour, and she even signed my guest book. I think that, after all my interactions with her and her family over the years, it was her way of saying ‘thank you’. That was probably the highlight of my life.”

Candy Jar wishes a Happy 90th Birthday to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, and many more!

A Personal Portrait of the Royal Family is a Candy Jar Books publication, and is available to purchase now directly from Candy Jar and to order from at all good retailers.

A Personal Portrait of the Royal Family

A familiar face at royal events, Colin Edwards, has collated his vast collection of photographs of the Royal Family to create a new book. Featuring never-before-seen images of Her Majesty The Queen, The Queen Mother and Diana, Princess of Wales a public events, the author also provides emotive, personal accounts of his meetings with the Royals.

Queen Elizabeth II is now longest-reigning monarch in history - and Colin Edwards was there to celebrate!

On Sunday, thousands tuned in to view the commemorative Songs of Praise event,  "Tribute to a Queen - The Big Sing" at the Royal Albert Hall, in celebration of Her Majesty the Queen as she made history and became the longest-reigning monarch. And so of course our very own Colin Edwards, dedicated royalist, talented photographer, and published Candy Jar author, was just one in the crowds at the London venue ready to enjoy the music and join the festivities in celebration of a national figurehead, and a family, to whom his life's work has been dedicated from the young age of twelve.

Colin, who has met The Queen over 150 times throughout the years and is a regular invitee to Royal garden parties, was among countless celebrity faces at the event, which included appearances from musicians such as Gustav Holst and Gary Barlow, as well as special guests Lesley Garrett, Alexandra Armstrong and a choir of five thousand!

Colin’s book A Personal Portrait of the Royal Family features an extensive and unique collection of photographs of the Royal Family, including intimate and never-before-seen photographs of the Queen Mother, Queen Elizabeth II and the late Princess Diana.  

On his tireless support and photography of the now longest-reigning Queen Elizabeth II, Colin says, “I get such a buzz from it. I’m always on ‘cloud nine’ after meeting Her Majesty. It is the anticipation of this euphoria which keeps me going, no matter how long I have to wait or how cold it gets. Everyone is there for the same reason.”

The show was spectacular and, in true British fashion, culminated in a roaring performance of “God Save The Queen” by all of the choirs involved and the entire congregation. What a fitting way to celebrate Her Majesty the Queen’s record-breaking reign of 23,226 days, 16 hours and approximately 30 minutes.

Colin’s book A Personal Portrait of the Royal Family is available from both Amazon and the Candy Jar website, and you can catch up on  "Tribute to a Queen - The Big Sing" here.

NEW ROYAL ON THE WAY

Congratulations to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, who are expecting their second child. The future prince or princess was announced on Monday, just two months after the first birthday of the couple's first son, George. The Queen is said to be delighted at the news.

As with her first child, Kate is said to be suffering severe morning sickness, which has led to her pregnancy being announced early. However, at the opening of a new study centre at Oxford University, William reassured the crowds that the Duchess was on the mend.

One well-wisher is Candy Jar’s own Colin Edwards, photographer and author of A Personal Portrait of the Royal Family, who said that he was ‘thrilled’ that baby George would soon have a new playmate. A regular at royal walkabouts, he added, ‘I hope that, next spring, after the baby is born, I will once again be able to meet and congratulate the Duke and Duchess on the new arrival.’

No doubt Colin will become a familiar face to the child, as he has been to the past three generations of the Royal Family. Having presented one of his photographs of the infant William to Kate, at a walkabout following their marriage, he is already looking forward to the new royal’s first public appearance. 

CANDY JAR BOOK FESTIVAL COMES TO A CLOSE!

We’d like to say a big thanks to everybody who was involved in our Candy Jar Book Festival!

© Candy Jar 2014

We began the festival on Saturday (August 2^nd) with a How to Write a Winning Short Story workshop at Cardiff Central Library with Andy Frankham-Allen and Laura Foakes. This workshop was extremely interesting and was a great introduction to our South Wales Short Story Competition.

The following Saturday (August 9^th) Mark Brake, author of Space, Time, Machine, Monster and TV presenter, John Chase entertained young Doctor Who fans with The Science of Doctor Who. Jon’s Doctor Who rap had the kids dancing in the aisles.

© Candy Jar 2014

On Monday (August 11^th) Lynda Nash shared her personal experiences of creating children’s pre-school book Danny Down the Drainpipe. After reading the book aloud she encouraged the kids to create their very own book.

On Tuesday (August 12^th) Laura Foakes and Emma Taylor, author-illustrator duo of The Liars’ and Fibbers’ Academy, wowed and amazed the audience with their shocking untruths in How to be a Fibber Extraordinaire.

© Candy Jar 2014

On Wednesday (August 13^th) Manic Mondays author Michaela Weaver shared her wisdom about all things literary in her creative writing workshop. Thanks to all those who turned up!

© Candy Jar 2014

On Thursday Eileen Younghusband BEM (August 14^th), author of One Woman’s War and Men I Have Known, dazzled the crowds indulging the secrets of the WW2 Filter Room, and shared her memories of how women helped to win the war. We had a big surprise for Eileen, when Britain’s Got Talent candidate Nathan Wyburn unveiled and presented his portrait of Eileen created from a collage of images.

Also on Thursday in Monsters, Magic and Michelle Briscombe Michelle discussed the horrible monsters and mystical magic in her book Silent Mountain, and got us all thinking about our favourite magical books and monstrous characters.

© Candy Jar 2014

On Friday (August 15^th) Benjamin Burford Jones and Andy Frankham-Allen talked about how monsters and mirrors have played a role in their writing, and royal enthusiast Colin Edwards shared his exclusive, intimate photographs, memories and stories of his meeting with the Queen Mother, the Queen, and Princess Diana.

We closed our week (Saturday August 16^th) with Anthony Ormond, who talked about how the concept of time travel has inspired books, television and films over the years, and how this impacted his book Tommy Parker: Destiny Will Find You!

© Candy Jar 2014

We’ve had a fantastic week. Thank you to everybody who came down to say hello, and we hope that you enjoyed our events. We hope that the festival will have been the first of many over the years!

THE CANDY JAR BOOK FESTIVAL... COMING SOON!

We are very excited to announce that this August we will be launching The Candy Jar Book Festival!

Featuring our top authors, the festival will be based in Cardiff’s city centre from Saturday 9th-16th August, with events taking place at nearby locations including Cardiff Central Library, WHSmith, Cardiff Story Museum and The Plan. Throughout the week there will be appearances from:

• Eileen Younghusband (One Woman’s War and Men I Have Known)
• Mark Brake (Space, Time, Machine, Monster)
• Anthony Ormond (Tommy Parker: Destiny Will Find You!)
• Colin Edwards (A Personal Portrait of the Royal Family)
• Michelle Briscombe (Silent Mountain)

And many more...

There will be plenty of opportunities to meet and chat to authors as they host creative writing discussions, workshops, subject talks, and readings. Keep an eye on our website and this blog for more details.

Avid readers and aspiring writers of all ages; we welcome you to come down and say hi. We look forward to seeing you!

WATCH OUR ROYAL PHOTO VIDEOS!

One of our most recent publications, A Personal Portrait of the Royal Family by Colin Edwards features exclusive photographs of members of the royal family over several decades - taken from the perspective of a royal watcher enthusiast, offering intimate and candid pictures of our monarchy.

With a strong focus on HM The Queen, Lady Diana and HM The Queen Mother, the book also includes photographs of HRH Prince Charles, Kate Middleton and other members of royalty.

We filmed a series of interviews with Colin, which you can watch here:




 

You can watch more videos on the Candy Jar Books YouTube channel.

Candy Jar Books

COLIN EDWARDS ON NBC TODAY!

Colin Edwards, the man behind 'A Personal Portrait of the Royal Family' appeared on NBC's Today Show on saturday to spread his love for the British Monarchy.

Interviewed by Ben Fogle himself, Colin spoke about his experiences meeting the Royals, including Diana, Princess of Wales. He says he came to develop a rapport with Diana, who would speak to Colin at every opportunity during her various public walkabouts. "She said, 'Colin, the boys love your photographs," he remembers.

Click the image below to link to the video.

ROYAL WATCHER ON HIS OWN PUBLIC TOUR!

Colin Edwards, author of the recently released photography book, A Personal Portrait of the Royal Family, is now on his own tour of the country to showcase his book to the public.

Colin Edwards proudly presents his book.

Now at 73, Colin is able to share a passion with others that he has enjoyed for over 50 years. From the very first moment his interest began during the H.M The Queen's coronation in 1953, he has devoted his time to meeting and photographing the Royal Family at a variety of public events and walkabouts.

In doing so, Colin has created a fascinating historical archive that captures the House of Windsor in some of their most endearing moments. Primarily featuring the three most popular Royals of the 20th century, Queen Elizabeth II, Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother and Diana, Princess of Wales, the book is perfect for any budding Royalist, with personal anecdotes providing insightful context into the photographs and their subjects.

As part of the promotional campaign for the book, Colin is now signing copies at a variety of sites. These include:

• Mold Library - Wednesday 30th April
• Wrexham Waterstones - Saturday 3rd May
• Chester Waterstones - Saturday 24th May
• Macclesfield Waterstones - Saturday 7th June
• Rhyl Library - Tuesday 10th June

More confirmed dates are to follow. If you'd like to know more about the book or to purchase a copy, visit us at www.candyjarbooks.co.uk, or at the book's website at www.candy-jar.co.uk/royalfamily.html.

CANDY JAR TO RECEIVE WELSH BOOK GRANT!

Candy Jar Books is pleased to announce that it has been awarded a Marketing Grant from the Welsh Books Council.

New title A Personal Portrait of the Royal Family by Colin Edwards features never-before-seen photographs of members of the royal family including Lady Diana and The Queen Mother. Candy Jar is to receive a marketing grant that will help publicise the book, in the hope that it will reach a wider audience and see increased in sales.

In A Personal Portrait of The Royal Family, Colin shares his experiences through a series of photographs. His style is a far cry from typical paparazzi snapshots, as he captures a natural, softer side of the Royal Family. These pictures are interspersed with delightful anecdotes in which he recalls his personal experiences with the Royal family. These heart-felt moments include the first time Diana, Princess of Wales, addressed him by name, and his delight at The Queen Mother attending one of his photography exhibitions.

A Personal Portrait... will be released Summer 2014 and we look forward to working alongside the Welsh Books Council as they support us in this exciting project.

The Welsh Books Council is a national body, funded by the Welsh Government, which provides a focus for the publishing industry in Wales. It provides a number of specialist services (in the fields of editing, design, marketing and distribution) with a view to improving standards of book production and publication in both Welsh and English. It also distributes grants to publishers. The Books Council actively promotes reading and literacy in Wales.

www.candyjarbooks.co.uk

A Personal Portrait of the Royal Family 

AN AUDIENCE WITH EDWARDS

With the upcoming release of A Personal Portrait of the Royal Family, celebrated photographer speaks to Candy Jar about his upbringing and where his love for the Royal Family originated.

Learn more about Colin by watching the video below.

ASK AN EXPERT! CANDY JAR'S COLIN EDWARDS ON ITV WALES

Everyone at the Candy Jar team has been following the news of the royal baby with great excitement and wishes the future king and his parents all the very best. One of Candy Jar’s authors, Colin Edwards, royal expert and amateur photographer, made an appearance on last night’s ITV Wales news to talk about the happy occasion.

If you missed it here’s another chance to watch, along with an opportunity to get a glimpse of Colin’s incredible collection of royal memorabilia - just click here

To pre-order a copy of Colin's upcoming book, The Royal Family, please follow this link

CELEBRATING THE ROYAL FAMILY

An upcoming book A Personal Portrait of The Royal Family, documenting one man’s remarkable life spent meeting and photographing The Queen, The Queen Mother and Diana, Princess of Wales has been given the green light by Candy Jar Books.

72-year-old Colin Edwards describes himself as an ardent Royalist, and you’d be hard-pressed to begrudge him this title.

It all began on 2nd June 1953 with Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation. Although just 12-years old, Colin vividly remembers this historical occasion. He says: “My family was one of the first in the street to own a television, so our lounge was filled with friends and neighbours for the event. The atmosphere was fantastic, and I’m proud to say that I’ve been a Royalist ever since.”

Since that momentous day, Colin has spent much of his life touring the UK to attend Royal events, often waiting hours for a brief glimpse of The Queen.

©2013 Colin Edwards

He continues: “I get such a buzz from it. I’m always on ‘cloud nine’ after meeting Her Majesty. It is the anticipation of this euphoria which keeps me going, no matter how long I have to wait or how cold it gets. Everyone is there for the same reason. I have met some wonderful people at these events, and we often share photos at the end of the day.”

In A Personal Portrait of The Royal Family, Colin shares his experiences through a series of photographs. His style is a far cry from typical paparazzi snapshots, as he captures a natural, softer side of the Royal Family. These pictures are interspersed with delightful anecdotes in which he recalls his personal experiences with the Royal family. These heart-felt moments include the first time Diana, Princess of Wales, addressed him by name, and his delight at The Queen Mother attending one of his photography exhibitions.

Amazingly, Colin has never kept a diary. “I never expected that my experiences would be turned into a book,” he admits, “so it never occurred to me to write anything down.”

Thankfully, Colin has been blessed with a fantastic memory and, with the aid of his photographs, he has been able to remember and record his Royal memoirs. Behind the book is a genuine gentleman, whose aspirations for the book are as honest and humble as his love for the Royal Family: “I just want people, Royalists like myself, to enjoy it”.  

A Personal Portrait of The Royal Family is due out later this year. The book also contains selected images of Prince Charles, Prince Harry, Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge.

It can be pre-ordered at www.candyjarbooks.co.uk

Megan Jones