Patrick Lichfield, whose dashing looks, royal pedigree and artistic talent made him one of the world's best-known photographers, yesterday died in a hospital after a stroke.
Lord Lichfield's death came only a week after he finalised plans to produce a new book on Abu Dhabi.
The 66-year-old cousin of Queen Elizabeth II was scheduled to make a series of visits to the UAE capital over the coming year to take pictures for the volume.
The book was set to come hard on the heels of Dubai: A City Portrait, which was published by Dubai-based Motivate Publishing in May this year and has already sold out its 6,000 initial print run.
Ian Fairservice, Managing Partner and Group Editor of Motivate, who first met Lichfield 15 years ago, said he was "absolutely desolate" to hear of the photographer's death.
"I was with him in London last week and we were planning the Abu Dhabi book. He was very excited about coming to the UAE again.
"He was the most down-to-earth person you could want to meet and he didn't rely on the fact that he was a cousin of the Queen for anything."
Fairservice said Lichfield wasn't in denial about his origins, but realised that being part of a dynasty was less important than what he did as an individual.
"He was the best. He was one of the world's most famous photographers and he would've have achieved what he did even if he hadn't been an aristocrat," he said.
Regular assignments
Lichfield first visited the UAE in the 1970s and his links to the nation strengthened in 1990 when he began regularly carrying out assignments for magazines in the country.
Fairservice said: "He loved Dubai. He loved the Arab world and was fascinated by the culture and the heritage."
To produce the Dubai book, over a year and a half, Lichfield made six visits of about 10 days each to the city, and half a dozen visits were scheduled during the coming 14 months for the Abu Dhabi volume.
Later this month, Lichfield was due to take part in a signing session at London's famous Foyles bookshop for the UK launch of Dubai: A City Portrait. Orders for the book have even been received from the US.
Motivate also planned to produce a retrospective of Lichfield's entire 40-year career as a professional photographer.
Lichfield, first cousin once removed to Britain's Queen Elizabeth, was best known for his informally posed 1981 wedding portraits of Prince Charles and Princess Diana.
Buckingham Palace said the Queen was deeply saddened by his death, which came "peacefully" early yesterday morning, according to his studio.
Born Thomas Patrick Anson in April 1939, the man who became the fifth Earl of Lichfield was considered one of Britain's premier photographers.
His work varied from Royal family events to documenting "swinging-60s" London. He also photographed the wedding of Mick and Bianca Jagger.
For an exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery in 2003, Lichfield said he took enormous pleasure in looking back over his work.
"I am fortunate that my career has brought me into contact with many interesting and beautiful people," he said. "My work is a permanent record of that."
Lichfield, who had a holiday home on the Caribbean island of Mustique and lived in Shugborough Hall in Staffordshire, was dubbed the David Bailey of the upper classes.
He went to school at Harrow then moved to the army officer school of Sandhurst before joining the Grenadier Guards.
Boarding school
His interest in photography was sparked when his mother gave him a camera as he was sent off to boarding school at the tender age of seven.
To the dismay of his parents Viscount Anson and Princess Anne of Denmark, who promptly cut off his allowance, he became a photographer's assistant when he left the army in October 1962 as the 1960s began to get into their stride.
His social connections opened doors to him worldwide including those of Buckingham Palace giving him unprecedented access to the cream of society and the arts. He photographed hosts of beautiful women for fashion magazines and calendars.
"I think people will remember him best for those fantastic pictures he took at Charles and Diana's wedding," royal biographer Ingrid Seward told Sky News.
"There was an informal moment and they were all falling about laughing and I think that is probably one of the pictures people will remember best."
In 2002, Lichfield by now a passionate advocate of digital photography produced the official photographs for the Queen's Golden Jubilee, showing a smiling monarch alongside husband Prince Philip.
In October this year, just weeks before he suffered a stroke, he took a special set of pictures to mark the 80th birthday of former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.
Lichfield married Lady Leonora Grosvenor in 1975 and had one son, Tom, and two daughters, Rose and Eloise. The couple later divorced following reports of his affair with a model.
At the time of his death, his long-term partner was Lady Annunziata Asquith.
- With inputs from agencies
highlights
Patrick Lichfield
Career Highlights: Lichfield photographed a host of stars over his 40-year career.
Charles and Diana: Famously unposed and informal pictures of the royal wedding in 1981.
Queen Elizabeth: Official photographs of his cousin's Golden Jubilee in 2002.
Margaret Thatcher: A special set of images to celebrate the former Prime Minister's 80th birthday in October this year.
The UAE: Dubai: a City Portrait is published by Motivate.
The others: Include actor Michael Caine, musician Mick Jagger, director Roman Polanski, artist David Hockney.
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