Royal family: King Charles’ secret talent that has earned him over £2m in the last 20 years

Having spent almost his entire adult life as the heir to the throne, King Charles III’s job has almost always been that of royal engagements and representing the crown. Fortunately this is a job that keeps you well looked after, but what many might not realise is that Charles has made millions in another role.

Whilst no doubt seen as a hobby when compared to his more serious royal duties, the King has been an avid watercolour painter since he was a young man, specialising in painting landscapes and showcasing quite some talent in the field.

In fact, over the years between 1997 and 2016, a probe by Telegraph journalist Robert Mendick found that prints of the King’s watercolours had sold for a total north of £6 million with the profits going into his Prince’s Foundation charity.

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Despite this, Charles himself doesn’t see his artistic talent as particularly impressive, having described himself in the past as an ‘enthusiastic amateur’ and writing in an exhibition in Garrison Chapel, Chelsea, earlier this year:

“I am under no illusion that my sketches represent great art or a burgeoning talent. They represent, more than anything else, my particular form of ‘photograph album’ and, as such, mean a great deal to me.”

Charles learned to paint while in boarding school in Scotland in the 1960s before meeting and learning from prominent artists including Edward Seago, Derek Hill and John Ward.

The King sees his artistic work not as something to make money but as a means to recharge describing in the same exhibition the painting of a landscape as “one of the most relaxing and therapeutic exercises I know.”

What do you think of Charles’ art? Let us know in the comments here.

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