The Prince and Princess of Wales kickstarted Christmas yesterday morning by posting on Instagram, writing a simple “Happy Christmas!” caption to an impressive painting by their eldest son, Prince George, who is also heir to the throne.
The watercolor painting features a reindeer, two small birds, and a blue backdrop with snow falling—and is a work of art his parents are obviously (and rightly!) proud of.
According to People, “from the late Prince Philip to King Charles III and now George, a talent for painting runs in the royal family.” The King has painted numerous watercolors himself, typically of royal residences like Balmoral Castle in Scotland and his country home, Highgrove, in Gloucestershire, England. This past October, a print of a painting of Balmoral—where Her late Majesty passed away in September at 96 years old—painted by Charles sold at auction for about $6,500, despite being valued at roughly $675, People reports. The painting is signed in pencil by the King, with the year marked 2001. In addition to being the place where she passed away, the late Queen spent her late summers there annually, typically visited by members of the royal family.
Earlier this year, 79 of Charles’ watercolor paintings were displayed at The Garrison Chapel in London—the first full exhibition of his artwork. People reports the exhibition featured outdoor scenes created in Scotland, France, Africa, and other locales.
George’s mother, the Princess of Wales, also has artistic talent—though hers tends to be in the medium of drawing. In 2021, Kate “used her artistic skills to thank the people of Scotland that she and Prince William met during their royal tour of the country this week,” People reports. “Kate, who has a degree in art history from the University of St. Andrews, shared an impressive sketch of the couple’s college town where they met and fell in love on a thank you note.” She and William signed the card “To the people, communities, and organizations we visited and heard from; and those who stopped to wave and make our return to Scotland so special—thank you!” Kensington Palace revealed that the impressive sketch was from 2002, when Kate was in her early years at the university.
Another of Kate’s drawings was included in the program at the wedding of her younger sister, Pippa, in 2017. For the order of service, Kate drew St. Mark’s Church in Englefield, where the wedding was held, according to The Daily Mail. Famously, Kate is also a keen photographer, and the subjects of her work are usually her children—George and his younger siblings Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.
