Skip to main contentSkip to footer
King Charles sketching in Japan© Tim Graham

King Charles is one of the UK's most successful artists – see his best works

The monarch is a dab hand at the easel!

Matthew Moore
Online News Writer & Diversity and Inclusion Lead
June 8, 2024
Share this:

Alongside being monarch, King Charles is also quite a talented artist, with the royal becoming quite a dab hand with watercolours.

The royal has been interested in the artform since he was a young child, and during his youth he painted his parents, the late Queen and Prince Philip. When these pieces went to auction they fetched £46,000, so it's no surprise that Charles is actually one of the UK's most successful living artists.

WATCH: Relive the moment King Charles unveiled his first official portrait

The Telegraph reported back in 2018 that the monarch had made £2 million from sales of his paintings. However, despite this small fortune, the King has donated all proceeds from his hobby to the Prince of Wales's Charitable Fund.

Charles follows in his father's footsteps when it comes to his artistic endeavours as the late Duke of Edinburgh also enjoyed getting behind the easel. One expert said Philip's paintings were "exactly what you'd expect – totally direct, no hanging about".

Art runs in the Windsor family and when Charles' pieces were first featured in an exhibition at Windsor Castle, they sat alongside artworks from Prince Philip and Queen Victoria.

Prince Philip painting on an easel© Keystone
Philip was known to be quite artistic

Below, we have gathered some of the King's finest pieces of works, so have a scroll through and enjoy…

1/9

A watercolour painting of Castle Mey by King Charles© Tim Graham

Castle Mey

Charles is a fan of watercolours and one of his earliest works is Castle Mey, which his grandmother, the Queen Mother owned. Charles was close with her and he painted the stunning photo while on the estate's grounds in Caithness.

2/9

A watercolour painting of Balmoral by King Charles© Tim Graham

Balmoral

The monarch has also captured his late mother's favourite home of Balmoral in Aberdeenshire. Despite the incredible castle being off in the distance, Charles still captured the Union Jack flying high and the trees surrounding the grounds.

3/9

A man looking at a watercolour painting of a terrace at Highgrove by King Charles© PA Images / Alamy Stock Photo

Highgrove

It wasn't just Scotland that the King painted, as has also captured still moments at his Gloucestershire home of Highgrove. In this painting, seen at an exhibition, Charles has beautifully painted his patio, a deck chair and a unique stone ornament while the garden behind flourishes with trees and flowers.

4/9

A painting of mountains and a forest painted by King Charles© PA Images / Alamy Stock Photo

Mountains

Charles favoured natural scenes over portraits and this extraordinary image captures the snow-capped mountains around Scotland.

5/9

A set of commemorative stamps featuring King Charles's painting of Dersingham© Tim Graham

Stamps

In 1994, the Royal Mail drew attention to the then Prince of Wales's talents with a series of commemorative stamps that featured his artworks. This gorgeous piece pictured is of Dersingham, Norfolk, which is located near Sandringham.

6/9

A watercolour portrait of Sandringham House© PA Images / Alamy Stock Photo

Sandringham

Charles has also captured the elegant Sandringham building in its full glory. His portrait sees the brick building glistening in the sunlight and the domed rooves of the royal property.

7/9

Lady Jane Roberts holding a painting of the Scottish landscape with a house© MAX NASH

Scotland

Charles didn't just paint at the royal residences, but he has painted many other portraits of Scotland. This amazing image really captures the quietness of his surroundings.

8/9

A woman adjusting two watercolour paintings by King Charles© Yui Mok - PA Images

Exhibitions

The King's artworks have been displayed at numerous exhibitions, sometimes alongside those painted by the late Duke of Edinburgh and Queen Victoria. Here, we can see two pretty natural artworks from different seasons.

9/9

A ski pass featuring a watercolour painting of mountains and trees by King Charles© Tim Graham

Ski pass

Alongside commemorative stamps and exhibitions, the monarch's artworks have also been used on ski passes. The King and his family used to holiday at the Klosters ski resort in Switzerland where he painted the surrounding landscapes. Lucky skiers in 1997 got to use his artwork of the mountain and trees at the resort.

RELATED: King Charles and his curious collection of printed ties: Zebras, T-Rexes, Whales, more

READ: Trooping the Colour 2024: Everything to know about King Charles' birthday parade

More Royalty

See more