French photographer Jean Pierre Laffont has offered a personal and reflective look at his long relationship with King Charles.
Jean shared memories of photographing the monarch over more than five decades, from his first royal visits as a young prince to his current historic role as king.
In his post during the recent state visit, Laffont recalled his first meeting with Charles on July 16, 1970 in Washington DC, when the then Prince of Wales visited the White House at the invitation of President Richard Nixon.
In his recollections, Nixon had even mused about a possible royal union with his daughter Tricia that has long circulated in accounts of the visit.
The photographer also referenced a second assignment in 1986 at Harvard University’s 350th anniversary celebrations in Cambridge, where Charles gave a speech during the prestigious commemorations.
Reflecting on the present, Laffont wrote that although he had “never cared about the English Royal Family,” he always found Charles “intelligent and funny.”
He added that the King’s recent speech to the US Congress was “impressive” and “refreshing” for its focus on climate change, global stability, NATO cooperation and the war in Ukraine.
The comments come as Charles completes a high-profile state visit to the United States, in which he addressed Congress to standing ovations and participated in diplomatic meetings in Washington DC, New York and Virginia.
