EXCLUSIVE: How Andrew Windsor's Brooklyn Beckham-Style Photography Book Was Slammed as 'Sad and Pathetic'

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor once attempted to reinvent himself as a photographer with a glossy coffee-table book, only for his creative ambitions to be savaged by critics who branded the royal project "sad and pathetic," RadarOnline.com can reveal.

The former Duke of York, 66, released Photographs: Andrew, Prince Duke of York in 1995 – decades before Brooklyn Beckham, 27, pursued a similar failed attempt at a photography career.

The book featured personal photographs of royal relatives and celebrities, including a young Prince Harry and actress Finola Hughes.

Andrew's unsuccessful artistic venture has resurfaced following his Jeffrey Epstein scandal, which included his arrest on February 19 on suspicion of misconduct in public office.

The Los Angeles Times delivered a particularly brutal assessment of the publication, describing it as "sad and pathetic," while photography experts questioned whether Andrew possessed the technical skills necessary to justify publishing his work.

One of the book's most controversial images showed Harry, now 42, sitting on a swing during a trip aboard the Royal Yacht Britannia. Professor John Hedgecoe, then head of photography at the London School of Art, was particularly unimpressed by the composition.

He said: "It is an absolute mess. If it were possible to take the child out of the swing altogether, it would have been better – the rope cuts across his face."

Another photograph showed Harry holding a bucket and spade during the same royal excursion, with critics questioning the artistic merit of the childhood snapshots.

The negative reception came despite Andrew reportedly taking his photographic ambitions seriously and receiving encouragement from professional photographers.

Gene Nocon, who worked as his technical assistant, revealed in 2011 that Andrew had been committed to developing his abilities behind the camera.

Nocon reportedly believed the royal possessed a natural visual instinct and helped him refine his approach to photography.

Encouraged by a small circle of supporters, Andrew decided to publish a collection offering an unusually personal glimpse into his life.

In the book's foreword, he described the project as "a small slice of autobiography recording memories and impressions through my eyes and the lens of a camera."

He also attempted to distance the publication from his privileged position within the monarchy.

Andrew wrote: "This is a book by me, tyro-photographer, rather than by me, member of the Royal Family."

However, the inclusion of intimate family photographs did little to protect the publication from criticism. Speaking from Buckingham Palace, Andrew subsequently defended his pictures of Harry, suggesting reviewers had misunderstood what he was trying to achieve.

He said at the time: "A small baby, what was everybody expecting? Were they expecting a Snowdon-like portrait? I'm not that brilliant."

The photographic experiment ultimately failed to establish Andrew as a respected creative figure, and the former prince did not pursue a prominent career in the profession.

Andrew's abandoned artistic ambitions have attracted renewed attention amid the controversy surrounding his royal status and recent arrest.

He has largely remained out of public view since February, with reports suggesting he was also advised to abandon another favorite pastime.

According to reports published after his arrest, the former royal was urged to stop riding horses around the Sandringham estate because photographs of him enjoying the activity could create an unfavorable public impression.

Andrew has now launched legal action against Thames Valley Police and the Central Criminal Court to challenge the legality of search warrants used during his arrest in February.