A keen royalist and follower of the Royal Family from Ruthin is holding an exhibition of his photographs of Her Majesty the Queen.

Colin Edwards, who has met the Queen at least 150 times, is putting a hand-picked selection of 170 of his photographs on display in the Parish Rooms of St Peter’s Church as part of the town’s Platinum Jubilee Celebrations from 7- 18 June.

The exhibition, which will be formally opened by the town’s mayor, Councillor Menna Jones, will raise money for St Peter’s Church and St Kentigern’s Hospice in St Asaph.

Colin, who was born in Ruthin, said: “I’ve been a royalist since the Coronation in 1953 when I was 12 years old.

Since then, I followed the late Queen Mother, the Queen and the late Princess Diana all over the country, taking photos and showing them my support. I’ve had many exhibitions of my photographs which have raised hundreds of pounds for various charities.  This is the largest exhibition and probably my last, due to both my age and the Queen’s age.

“The last time I met the Queen was in Chester in 2018. I waited for two hours to see her, knowing that it was probably the last time we would meet.”

Colin was a regular commentator on the Royal Family on television and radio in the 1990s. He published a book of his photographs in 2014 called A Personal Portrait of the Royal Family and copies of this will be available to buy at the exhibition.

Colin composed the following poem which was sent to the Queen in February. He later received a letter of thanks from her Private Secretary.

You can visit Colin’s exhibition at the Parish Rooms, St Peter’s Church Ruthin from 7 – 18 June. On Sunday 5 June, Cytûn Ruthin plan to mark the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee by gathering in the medieval gardens of Nant Clwyd y Dre for an outdoor Cymanfa Ganu / Songs of Praise.

St Peter’s Church in Ruthin is part of the Dyffryn Clwyd Mission Area, one of the 19 Mission Areas in the Diocese of St Asaph, one of the six dioceses in the Church in Wales.