Ea picture sometimes says more than a thousand words. But this, the picture in the picture, so to speak, must be explained in more detail. Also because it found its way to Bellevue Palace in Berlin and at Charles’ side via this newspaper page.
A few days after Prince Philip’s death two years ago, Rainer Holbe wrote a memoir to “Her Royal Highness” that dates back to 1962. At the time, Holbe was an intern at the “Frankfurter Rundschau” and happened to be in the right place at the right time with the photographer Kurt Weiner.
Only the two of them knew that Philip, the husband of Queen Elizabeth II, came to Hessian to visit relatives with the then 13-year-old heir to the throne Charles. Holbe, who years later made German television history with his “Starparade” on ZDF, experienced the “highlight of my journalistic career to date” on the runway at Frankfurt Airport, as he recalls.
“I’m Philip!” Philip simply introduced himself to him at the time. Holbe pulled out the camera and pulled the trigger. One of the pictures, albeit slightly cropped, was published in this newspaper on April 13, 2021 in honor of the prince consort who had died four days earlier.
And it didn’t go unnoticed. The Office of the Federal President remembered the photographic memory a few days ago and asked for a copy. The idea: Charles, now king, should be presented with an unknown snapshot on his very first of now more than 40 visits to Germany, also as a sign of the long friendship that connects him with our country.
But things turned out to be more difficult than expected. Because, firstly, the rights belong to the photographer, that is, to Holbe, and secondly, the picture, which the FAZ naturally included in the archive, was slightly cropped. So the original had to be found: but it was difficult to get in touch, and at times even the Foreign Office got involved. The state banquet would obviously not have been conceivable without the picture as a gift.
It’s a good thing that Holbe lives in Frankfurt, so an archivist could simply drop by his home in Sachsenhausen. The 83-year-old former TV presenter was impressed by the idea, took the same photo off the wall and entrusted it to the FAZ a second time.
It was framed in the photo editors, scanned and forwarded to the Office of the Federal President. Two versions were created there: a large picture that was visible to everyone at the state banquet next to the lectern, and a much smaller one in silver that the Federal President personally presented to the visibly moved Charles.
Unfortunately, Rainer Holbe was not mentioned, it must be said at this point. Steinmeier only spoke of a young journalist, then still an intern, who took the picture. “It is a personal pleasure for me to be able to give you this photo as a reminder of this special moment after 61 years as a sign of the long-standing bond with our country.”
Shortly thereafter, the 130 invited guests raised their glasses to “toast the health of Their Majesties King Charles III” with Steinmeier. and Queen Consort Camilla” and “to the friendship between our two countries!”. A little later there was pickled carp and Erfurt watercress, then Heck beef broth, pasture chicken and tree fungus, and finally prunes, East Frisian black tea and shortbread.
Among other things, a Pinot Noir from Rheinhessen was served, which comes from the area that was the destination of the princes in 1962. But Holbe’s photo, the original, has been hanging in its original place since Tuesday.
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