Express & Star

Royal photo up for award

Express & Star chief photographer Tim Thursfield's shot of The Duke of Cambridge visiting the Black Country has been shortlisted for a top award.

Published
Duke of Cambridge at Mary Stevens Park

His photograph of the Duke meeting the crowds in Stourbridge just last week has been shortlisted for the News Media Association’s Royal Rota photography competition. The online public vote has gone live today and runs until the end of the week. You can see Tim's picture at expressandstar.com and cast your vote.

The results of the public vote will be used to create a shortlist, which will be judged by a panel of industry experts to find the winners in five categories: National Newspaper Rota Photo of the Year; Regional/Local Newspaper Rota Photo of the Year; Rota Picture Agency Rota Photo of the Year; Overall Rota Photo of the Year; Special Category – Rota photographs of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle together.

The E&S shot was taken when the Duke visited Stourbridge to unveil a new statue of wartime hero Frank Foley sitting on a park bench. Thousands of people packed into Mary Stevens Park for the occasion to honour the man dubbed 'The British Schindler' because he helped save up to 10,000 Jews from the Nazi concentration camps.

The British spy used his role as passport control officer for the British embassy in Berlin, as a cover to help thousands of Jewish families escape from Nazi Germany during the Second World War. He eventually retired to Stourbridge where he lived just up the road from Mary Stevens Park where the Duke unveiled his statue last Tuesday.

The Royal Rota photography competition was launched by the NMA to promote the outstanding work of photographers in the UK news media.

The NMA manages the Royal Rota on behalf of its members, allocating passes for the hundreds of Royal engagements undertaken by members of the Royal Family each year.

A showcase of 48 of the best photographs from Roya Rota events is on the News Media Association's website and members of the public are invited to browse the images and vote for their favourite.

The NMA will also be tweeting from @newsmediaorg using hashtag #RoyalRota during the public voting period which will close at 5pm on Friday.