A picture of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle on Christmas Day has been named the best photograph of royalty by a regional press photographer in the past 12 months.

Adam Fairbrother, of the Lynn News has won the regional prize as part of the News Media Association’s Royal Rota Photography Competition 2018.

An online public vote was held to find the best of 48 showcased photographs from national and local newspapers, agencies and freelance photographers.

In the regional category, Tim Thursfield, of Wolverhampton’s Express & Star, and Jane Coltman, of the Northumberland Gazette, were also shortlisted following the vote.

Judges then chose Adam’s image of the couple at Sandringham as the best of the three.

Those on the judging panel were Alan Sparrow, chairman of the UK Picture Editors Guild, Chris Eades, The British Press Photographers’ Association’s chairman, Lynne Anderson, NMA deputy chief executive, Martin Keene, Press Association group picture editor and Dr Michael Pritchard, The Royal Photographic Society’s chief executive.

Said Chris: “Writers may think that their finely crafted words are what draw in the readers, but on any big event the words are relegated, and the front pages cleared to make way for the picture that tells the story. The picture that sticks in the mind after all the live coverage and social media have faded away.

“There are some great, and varied, pictures entered in the awards this year- and making a choice between apples and oranges is a tricky task. What does shine through is that there are some truly talented photographers working in the UK – and this year’s rota awards highlight several of those great pictures that tell a story better than any words ever could.”