Phil Noble's brilliant photo

The epic photograph of disgraced British royal Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was brilliant, and as the Reuters photographer who took it, Phil Noble, has explained, it was the result of 90 percent hard work and planning and 10 percent pure luck, as the best scoops almost always are.

It takes exceptional skill to take a good photograph of somebody inside a moving vehicle in the dark through reflective glass using a flash. It also requires a lot of luck, which Phil acknowledges he had that day: “The photo gods were on my side.”

It was an amazing image, achieved through rigorous preparation, teamwork, and a bit of luck. All of us who love Reuters should be proud of the dedication and expertise that made it happen.

I was very surprised to see a former Reuters correspondent denigrating the achievement, and even more surprised to read his description of Andrew as a victim who “can’t fight back”, which given what we know about this ghastly unfolding saga and about some of the real victims, is tone deaf beyond belief.

Bravo, Phil, for an iconic photograph.

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