A PHOTOGRAPHY club is paying tribute to its most famous member, Prince Philip, after he announced his retirement.

Accrington Camera Club, which this year celebrates its 115th birthday, sent a speculative letter to the Duke of Edinburgh in 1977 to mark the Queen’s silver jubilee.

To the shock of club members he sent across several of his own images which he took while bird watching and the club made him an honorary member.

Vice-president Harry Emmett said: “At the time we were told we’d have no money to mark the Queen’s silver jubilee.

“So instead we just thought we’d write to Prince Philip because he was president of the World Wildlife Fund, to see if he’d help us out and send something.

“We were so surprised then when a van turned up from Buckingham Palace with some of his prints.

“We then invited him to be a member and we got a phone call from his secretary saying that he accepted, which was brilliant.

“It’s still nice to see after all these years that whenever the groups he plays a part in are listed, it says he’s a member of our camera club.”

It was announced last week the 95-year-old will no longer carry out public engagements from the autumn.

The images he submitted to the club were taken by him birdwatching in the Hilbre Islands.

They were displayed in the club’s 1977 annual exhibition at Haworth Art Gallery before being taken back to Buckingham Palace the following year.

The club is also planning to send a congratulatory card to Buckingham Palace for his years of service and to thank him for his membership.

Mr Emmett, 73, said: “We’re still really pleased, it was so exciting at the time, he’s definitely our most famous member.

“We hope that even though he’s retiring, he doesn’t retire from his hobby of photography.”

The club has 45 members and meets weekly at the Primetime Centre in Stourton Street, Rishton.

It’s preparing to host its 2017 exhibition at Haworth Art Gallery which starts in June and organisers hope more will be inspired to join.

Mr Emmett, member for 50 years, said: “There’s going to be quite a lot of interesting work on show, there’s a lot of good photographers around today.

“We hope people will take inspiration of this, Prince Philip, and all our history, and get involved.

“A lot of people just don’t take the trouble in the digital age, it’s a shame.”