- Members of the British royal family have talents you may not know about.
- Meghan Markle's first children's book, "The Bench," was adapted from a poem she wrote for Prince Harry.
- King Charles III is an avid painter — some of his watercolor works have sold for more than $2 million.
King Charles III is a talented painter of outdoor scenes.
Like his great-great-great-grandmother Queen Victoria, the former Prince of Wales is an avid artist. He prefers watercolors and paints scenes of natural beauty, like mountains and lakes.
Though he describes himself as an "enthusiastic amateur," he is an honorary member of the Royal Academy and the Royal Watercolour Society, and his paintings have sold for more than $2 million.
The Queen had top-notch photography skills.
The Queen was given her first camera by her father, King George VI, before the start of World War II. The Queen was most fond of capturing scenes of her family. The Daily Mail said she had an "effortless knack of capturing her family at their most informal and most relaxed."
Queen Elizabeth was a trained mechanic and truck driver.
During World War II, when she was just 18 years old, the Queen — then Princess Elizabeth — joined the Women's Auxiliary Territorial Service. It was there that she learned how to drive a truck and change a spark plug. She is the only female member of the royal family to have been in the armed forces.
The Queen also enjoyed doing different accents and impressions.
Apparently, the Queen had quite a sense of humor. Royal biographer Ingrid Seward said that she was a "really, really good mimic." Seward also said she believed the ability to laugh together is what kept the Queen and Prince Philip's marriage strong through the decades.
Kate Middleton is also a talented artist.
For the wedding of her sister, Pippa Middleton, Kate drew St. Mark's Church in Englefield, Berkshire, where the ceremony took place. According to the Mirror, Pippa's husband, James Matthews, praised her skills in his wedding speech: "To Pippa's sister Kate, such ability – a beautiful drawing of St Mark's church in the order of service."
The Princess of Wales has also become the unofficial family portrait photographer.
Many of the royal portraits posted to the Prince and Princess of Wales' Instagram account to celebrate events like birthdays, anniversaries, and more were taken by Kate Middleton herself.
Prince George takes after his grandfather with his talent for art.
The young prince also takes after his mom: Kate has a degree in art history and is a talented photographer. Though he's stated he wants to be a policeman when he grows up, George is currently third in line to the throne and will likely be king one day.
Meghan Markle published a children's book about fatherhood, inspired by Prince Harry and their son, Archie.
The children's book is titled "The Bench" and features watercolor illustrations by artist Christian Robinson. The story follows the evolving relationship between a father and son, seen from a mother's perspective.
Released on June 8, 2021, the book became a No. 1 bestseller on Amazon.
Markle is also a skilled calligraphist, and she has even completed work for celebrity clients.
Did you know that she also has a talent for penmanship? She previously taught calligraphy at a Paper Source store in Beverly Hills. She's also worked freelance for celebrity clients, and even completed the wedding invitations for Robin Thicke's 2005 wedding to Paula Patton.
Meghan Markle is also a talented cook.
Another one of the Duchess of Sussex's talents is her culinary ability. Harry actually proposed to her after a chicken dinner that she cooked. She has also supported a charity cookbook and, according to People, she cooks for herself and Harry every day.
Prince Philip had a green thumb and even grew truffles before he passed away.
The 99-year-old royal was a passionate gardener and had great success in growing truffles before his passing on April 9, 2021. According to the Times, he was the first person to cultivate black truffles on British soil. He began trying to grow the fungi 12 years earlier before they finally succeeded in 2018.
Princess Diana was an accomplished diver.
Diana was not only a fashion icon and activist but was also known to be a talented diver. According to Yahoo, she was a star in the sport in school, and even created her own signature move: The "Spencer Special" was known to be a dive with almost no splash.
Prince William can speak Swahili.
Prince William learned how to speak the language while studying at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, according to the BBC. He used his talent in a meeting in Tanzania with the country's president, John Magufuli, in 2018.
Prince Harry can pilot a helicopter.
In 2013, the Ministry of Defence announced that the Prince had qualified as an Apache helicopter commander after three years of training. The same year, he completed a five-month tour of Afghanistan.
Princess Beatrice is a runner and completed the London Marathon in 2010.
Princess Beatrice of York is the daughter of Prince Andrew and Sarah the Duchess of York. In 2010, she became the first royal to complete the London Marathon. She ran the marathon with friends under the name of "Team Caterpillar" to raise money for charity.
Kate Middleton plays the flute.
Though she doesn't play much anymore, the Duchess of Cambridge said that she played from "[her] school years until the age of 18," The Express reported. In 2017, she tried her hand at conducting a prestigious orchestra in Hamburg, Germany.
The Queen's granddaughter, Zara Tindall, competed in the Olympics for horseback riding.
Both Zara and her mother, Princess Anne, have competed in equestrian events at the Olympics, representing Great Britain. Tindall won a silver medal at the Summer 2012 Olympics, which was presented to her by her mother.
Lady Gabriella Windsor has released two songs, which she wrote and performed.
Lady Gabriella, the Queen's first cousin once removed, released "Out of the Blue" and "Bam Bam" in August 2020 to raise money and awareness for a music education non-profit, the Playing For Change Foundation. She wrote the lyrics and melodies for the songs, which were released under the name Ella Windsor. They can be found on Spotify and iTunes.
"It's a little daunting, but exciting too," she told Hello! magazine.
Lady Gabriella also works as a freelance writer.
Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, is a children's book author.
Ferguson became a part of the royal family in 1986 when she married Prince Andrew. However, the pair divorced 10 years later in 1996.
Ferguson has a talent for writing and drawing, which she has used to create over 20 children's books. She has also written an autobiography, "My Story: Sarah, the Duchess of York."