Sean Coughlan
Royal correspondent
The Princess of Wales and her children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, have revealed their artistic skills in four portraits of each other.
It’s believed to be the first time that a drawing by Catherine of one of her children has been shown in public – with a picture of her six-year-old son, Prince Louis.
The royals drew the portraits as “a moment of connection” to “spend time looking at and focusing on one another” while being creative, a social media post from Kensington Palace added.
The pictures are a follow-up to Catherine’s recent visit to the National Portrait Gallery, as part of her early years education project, Shaping Us.
The princess had joined a class of five-year-olds going around an exhibition encouraging children to portray themselves and to understand their own emotions.
The four pictures have been issued without revealing the artist and subject – but the more grown up work would appear to be Catherine’s picture of a sleeping Prince Louis.
Catherine studied A-level art at school and then history of art at St Andrews university.
Prince Louis has already shown his own creativity, with the recent release of his photograph of his mother wrapped up warm on a cold winter’s day.
These latest pictures, like Louis’s photograph, were issued on Prince William and Catherine’s social media account.
A picture of Catherine sitting in an armchair seems likely to have been drawn by 11-year-old Prince George, while another portrait of Catherine with multi-coloured hair seems to be the work of nine-year-old Princess Charlotte.
The bright red portrait by Prince Louis could be either Catherine or Charlotte.
The pictures are highlighting the exhibition launched by the princess at the National Portrait Gallery in London, which encourages children to think about their relationships and feelings.
The princess travelled to the gallery in a school minibus and helped the young visitors as they took part in art activities, intended to help them develop emotional skills.
“These skills are key throughout our lives, shaping who we are, how we manage our thoughts and emotions, how we communicate with and relate to others, and how we explore the world around us,” said the message on social media, alongside the pictures.
“Drawing portraits with children can provide a moment of connection as you spend time looking at and focusing on one another, as well as being creative,” the post continued.
There is a long tradition of painting among the royals, with King Charles an enthusiastic painter. He has also been the subject of numerous works, including Jonathan Yeo’s portrait last year, with its striking shades of red.
