Right royal HOBBIES!
When the Duchess of Cornwall revealed recently she takes ballet lessons, we thought we’d investigate what other hobbies our royal family enjoy
Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, confessed recently she has been taking ballet lessons to keep fit since 2018. Camilla (72) has become a cheerleader for Silver Swans, ballet classes aimed at the over-55s, designed to impove core strength, balance and flexibility. In normal times she joins together with three ‘ancient’ friends to do the classes. “We might groan a bit afterwards, huff and grunt. But you do feel so much better. It’s fun.”
Prince William has a passion for motorbikes – although his wife Kate isn’t all that keen! While the Prince’s Ducati is said to be his prized possession, Kate insists she’ll never let son George near it and is “terrified” by her husband’s daredevil streak.
The Queen has always had a great fondness for animals so it’s no surprise they’ve influenced her choice of hobbies. From the age of three, she has delighted in horses and is still regularly seen out riding in the grounds of Windsor Castle (above). Meanwhile, pigeon racing is another passion. She is said to keep more than 200 racing pigeons in a purpose-built loft at Sandringham.
Prince Philip’s passion is for oil painting and he is known to have painted a portrait of the Queen reading a newspaper at the breakfast table at Windsor Castle in 1965. He also loves carriage driving, a sport he took up when he was 50. As recently as last year, the Prince, then aged 97, was spotted on the Sandringham estate driving a horse and carriage.
Prince Charles is well known for his love of the great outdoors, but less is generally known about his outdoor hobbies. Raising prizewinning chickens is one and he’s taken home many accolades for it. But he also has a passion for the dying art of hedgelaying which involves entwining cut tree branches throughout a line of shrubs or small trees to make a hedge boundary.
Many of us will have seen the wonderful photographs the Duchess of Cambridge shares of her children on each of their birthdays and for special occasions. But for Kate, photography is more than just taking snaps of her little ones. Kate studied art history at university and did her thesis on photography. She now serves as patron of the Royal Photographic Society and is said to always be looking for the chance to take a good snap.