From playing to cello to speaking a range of different languages, the Royal Family are a surprisingly talented bunch.
As the best royal tour moments prove, they certainly know how to keep busy. From travelling the world to represent the country to getting glammed up for important milestones, it would seem to the outside world the likes of Kate Middleton, Princess Anne and Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh don't get much time to themselves.
However, their best off-duty looks are a testament to the fact that titles aside, the royals can be just like us, keeping things casual and wanting some self-care time.
And they might spend some of this off-duty time cultivating their surprising hobbies and talents. From calligraphy to being bilingual, we've rounded up some of these notable impressive skills.
32 hidden talents you didn't know the royals had
King Charles is a talented painter
Touched on several times throughout his 2023 Coronation, King Charles has long been an advocate for the arts - from Shakespeare to portraiture. And he's not just an admirer, but a fellow artist.
As a younger man, he was taught by some of Britain’s finest artists, including John Napper, John Ward, Hugh Casson, Edward Seago and Derek Hill and grew to favour watercolours.
According to the Telegraph, he describes himself as an "enthusiastic amateur," but that hasn't stopped him from becoming an honorary member of the Royal Academy and the Royal Watercolour Society.
His paintings have reportedly sold for more than £2 million since 1997.
Queen Elizabeth was a trained mechanic
The late Queen Elizabeth II reigned for a historic 70 years - and she still managed to somehow fit other exciting life moments in before that.
During World War II, when she was just 18 years old, the then Princess Elizabeth joined the Women's Auxiliary Territorial Service.
It was there that she learned to drive a truck and understand the mechanics of fixing a vehicle.
A useful skill for sure, and her service made her the only female member of the royal family to have been in the armed forces during an active war.
Prince Philip was a skilled gardener (and he even set a record)
The late Duke of Edinburgh, like his wife, the Queen, and his son, King Charles, was happiest when outdoors.
He was known to be a passionate gardener and even found great success in growing truffles before his passing in April 2021. As quoted in The Times, he was the first person to cultivate black truffles on British soil.
He had first begun trying to grow the rare fungi 12 years earlier before finally having success in 2018.
Kate Middleton can draw
Catherine, Princess of Wales' interest in the creative arts has long been known, with the future Queen studying History of Art while studying at St Andrews University.
Well, Kate had a chance of showcasing her own creativity when it came to sister Pippa Middleton's wedding to James Matthews in 2017.
On the front of the service booklet, was a drawing of the 12th century St Mark's Church in Englefield, near Reading. The sketch was said to have been created by the Princess herself.
Sources at the time reported that Kate's brother-in-law thanked her for her drawing during his wedding speech.
King Charles can windsurf
Perhaps less so nowadays, but King Charles was known to love catching the waves on waters all around the world.
Interestingly, surfing has been a royal passion for some time, dating back to King Edward VIII, better known as the Duke of Windsor.
In April 1920, when he was the Prince of Wales, he made an official trip to the Hawaiian Islands, where he was invited to try surfing by David Kahanamoku at Waikiki Beach in Honolulu, before the sport really took off in popularity.
Images of him standing up on the board and a replica of David Kahanamoku's surfboard are preserved in the Museum of British Surfing.
The Princess of Wales has many musical talents
Kate Middleton's prowess on the piano is well known. Not only has she played the instrument during her Together at Christmas Carol concert, she also delighted Eurovision fans with a surprise appearance by playing a short snippet of a song in a video interview.
However, the Princess of Wales also plays the flute! According to Classic FM, Kate studied singing as well as the woodwind instrument, achieving a grade five for both singing and music theory.
Meghan Markle is a calligraphist
Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, has many well-known talents, including her acting career, having starred in the hugely popular series Suits.
But she also has a hidden talent, one which helped support her lifestyle as she began her journey into acting.
With expert penmanship, Meghan taught calligraphy at a Paper Source store in Beverly Hills, California. She's also worked freelance for celebrity clients, completing the wedding invitations for Robin Thicke's 2005 wedding to actress Paula Patton.
Kate Middleton can cook
From whipping up a homemade cake for her children's birthdays each year to making special preserves as gifts, Kate Middleton is talented in the kitchen and counts cooking as another one of her hobbies.
Prince William himself has hinted this before, saying during a cooking class for young cares in Berkshire, "I do a bit of cooking, not much though. Catherine's very good though."
Kate has spoken of making a special chutney for the late Queen before, and how it bonded the two.
In the documentary, Our Queen at Ninety, Kate recalled, "I can remember being at Sandringham, for the first time, at Christmas. And I was worried about what to give the Queen as her Christmas present. I was thinking, 'Gosh, what should I give her?' 'I was slightly worried about it, but I noticed the next day that it [Kate's homemade chutney] was on the table."
"I think such a simple gesture went such a long way for me and I've noticed since she's done that on lots of occasions and I think it just shows her thoughtfulness, really, and her care in looking after everybody."
King Charles can play the cello
Like his daughter-in-law, King Charles is known to have a penchant for musicality.
While he's reportedly skilled on the piano and the guitar, it was his prowess with the cello which him a seat in the prestigious Trinity College Orchestra during his time at the University of Cambridge.
Per the Express, He recalled on a radio podcast, "I loved playing in the orchestra at Trinity – albeit rather badly. I remember playing in Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony and trying to practise in my room at Cambridge to an old record conducted by Herbert von Karajan, who was the great conductor in those days, in the 60s."
Princess Eugenie has artistic skills, and uses them in her day job
Princess Eugenie revealed to the world she had her hidden artistic talents when she shared a painting of a pink flower.
Eugenie shared her art with followers on her Instagram page to celebrate World Art Day back in 2020.
She studied a Combined Honours BA in English Literature, History of Art and Politics at Newcastle University and has since put her artistic merits to use having worked at London's Hauser and Wirth art gallery.
King Charles can speak multiple languages
Various members of the Royal Family can speak multiple languages, with the King reportedly having a few in his repertoire.
Speaking French is something shared with his sister, Princess Anne, and late mother, however, Charles also speaks Welsh and German.
In 2023, he became the first British monarch to address the Bundestag in Berlin, delivering the majority of his speech in German.
It was Charles' first state visit to Germany as monarch and his adopting the native language made it a resounding success.
Prince George is musical like his mum
His mum and grandfather are thought to be musical, and it looks like Prince George is joining in the fun.
During a cultural showcase of acts at the 2020 European Capital of Culture, Kate told acts there, "I wish we could have brought George and Charlotte along, they would have loved it. George is starting to learn the guitar", per the Express.
Princess Beatrice is an accomplished runner
In 2010, Princess Beatrice became the first royal ever to complete the London Marathon.
Showcasing her talent for long-distance running, Beatrice completed the Herculean 26-mile challenge while dressed in a bright green tutu and other fancy dress touches. She was running in honour of her mother, Sarah Ferguson's charity, Children in Crisis.
Even more impressively, the group she ran with broke the record for being the most people to finish a marathon while tied together.
Meghan Markle is thought to be quite the cook
Another one of the Duchess of Sussex's talents is her rumoured culinary ability.
Indeed, Meghan's talents in the kitchen even played a role in her engagement to Harry.
Prince Harry proposed to her after a chicken dinner that she cooked at home - although it should be said that he was planning to pop the question anyway, the chicken wasn't *that* good.
Meghan has always reportedly been a foodie, describing herself on her former blog, The Tig, as "someone who not only loves but also appreciates the art and skill that goes into making good food."
Prince William can speak multiple languages, including Swahili
Prince William reportedly taught himself Swahili, the most widely spoken African Language in Sub-Saharan Africa.
He learned how to speak the language while studying at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, according to the BBC.
Almost 50 million people in eastern and central Africa speak Swahili, and William decided to learn the language as part of his love for Africa – something which was shared with him by his late mother, Princess Diana. Per OK!, he is also thought to be able to communicate in French, German, Gaelic and Spanish.
There’s a secret recording artist in the family
Considering Kate Middleton plays the piano and Prince George is learning guitar, they can team up with Lady Gabriella to form a group!
Lady Gabriella Windsor, the Queen's first cousin once removed, released tracks Out of the Blue and Bam Bam in August 2020 to raise money for an educational 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 streamed on Spotify and iTunes.
Prince William and Harry can ride motorbikes
In 2008, Prince William and Prince Harry did their best Hell's Angels impression and took part in a 1000-mile motorbike rally with over 80 other riders in South Africa.
The Enduro Africa 08 event raised money for UNICEF, Nelson Mandela's Children's Fund, and Sentebale, a charity set up by Prince Harry and Prince Seeiso of Lesotho, to help vulnerable youth in Botswana and Lesotho.
It wasn't the first time Prince William showed his talent for high-octane motorbikes, though. The Prince of Wales has reportedly a few bikes in his time, including a Yamaha XT600 and a Honda Blackbird.
Prince George has been skiing since a surprisingly young age
Prince George has reportedly been showing off his talents for skiing since a very young age.
During a royal tour in Norway back in 2018, Kate Middleton revealed that the then-four year old was already hitting the slopes, and he had actually had his first skiing lesson when he was just two years old.
Rebecca English, the royal reporter for the Daily Mail, tweeted at the time, "The Duchess confirmed that Prince George 'tried skiing last year but he was just two and a half so was just starting.'"
King Charles raises prized chickens
King Charles has long campaigned for a greener way of life, speaking out on the climate as early as the 1970s.
His love for conservation and the climate extends to his home hobbies and talents, with the King raising his own ethical chickens at Highgrove.
Charles raises prized Burford Brown and Maran chickens at his Highgrove House home and is so good at it that he’s even the Poultry Club of Great Britain Patron. When he turned 70, official portraits showed him being followed by his prized chickens on his bucolic estate.
Queen Elizabeth was good at impressions
The late Queen was revered for her dry sense of humour, and one royal expert revealed she had a hidden talent of perfect comic impressions and mimicry.
"I think the Queen is the comedian. She's a wonderful mimic," royal biographer Ingrid Seward said on Loose Women. "She can do Liverpool, she does Liverpool very, very well."
Per British Heritage artist Michael Noakes, also revealed her great knack for impressions.
He said, "She was peering out of the window and keeping up a running commentary of people’s reactions to seeing her standing there ‘Gee Maud (in an American accent) it can’t be’...oh no, he’s decided it can’t be, he’s moved on now’ and that sort of thing."
Zara Tindall is just as talented on her own two feet as she is on horseback
Mike Tindall, husband to Zara Tindall, Princess Anne's only daughter, revealed that the equestrian athlete has had some success in other sports.
He said on a special episode of his podcast, The Good, The Bad and the Rugby which involved Prince William, Kate Middleton and Princess Anne and was taped at Windsor Castle, "I would say that my wife and I have that competitiveness about anything, if we play tennis or anything, she would always want to beat me."
He then revealed: "She always talks about her sprinting career [laughs]. Sorry if she watches this!"
Prince William replied, "Zara's sprinting career? That was quite short-lived, was it?" and Princess Anne then clarified it was "Hurdles." and "she was very good."
Duchess Sophie’s special inclusive language skills
Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh visited the Shooting Star House in Hampton in 2022 for an early Valentine's Day treat, involving fun activities with a group of young people.
The Duchess also joined in on a special singalong of the 1967 Beatles classic, All You Need Is Love.
In the adapted version of the song, Sophie showed a hidden talent for Makaton, a language which combines sign language, speech and symbols.
Prince Edward has mastered this classic dad skill
The stereotype of the father being king of the barbecue is one that rings true in the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh’s household, Duchess Sophie revealed to the Express.
“He is very good at barbecues, and the children love those.”
She also went on to praise Prince Edward’s approach to parenthood, explaining, “He takes our son fishing, does a lot of riding with our daughter, he is very engaged as a father."
Edward no doubt learnt a thing or two from his own father, Prince Philip, who had been photographed outdoor cooking on the grill over the years.
Like other royals, Prince Harry caught the photography bug
Like his sister-in-law, Princess Catherine, who is famous for her talents with photography, the Duke of Sussex shared some skilfully taken photos back in 2019.
When he was still using the Sussex Royal Instagram account, Harry shared some wildlife shots for Earth Day. Alongside the photos, the caption read, “Today is #earthday - an opportunity to learn about, celebrate and continue to safeguard our planet, our home. We invite you to scroll through a series of 9 photos taken by the Duke of Sussex sharing his environmental POV.”
Princess Margaret was a talented performer
Princess Margaret lived a life worthy of a Hollywood diva, so it should come as no surprise that the Queen's younger sister had some natural talent for performing.
According to Marian Crawford - the governess to the young Elizabeth and Margaret who was affectionately known as Crawfie - who wrote in her book The Little Princesses, Margaret had a "considerable talent" for performing.
Marian also noted that Margret's talent for impressions often made her family laugh - a talent that she shared with her sister!
Duchess Sophie was a successful PR professional
Before she married Prince Edward and later became the Duchess of Edinburgh, Sophie Rhys-Jones proved her natural talent for business and public relations.
She represented firms across the UK, Switzerland and Australia before opening her own agency in 1996.
Princess Charlotte is taking after Princess Diana with a love of ballet
Princess Charlotte has a talent for ballet - something which would make her late grandmother, Princess Diana, proud.
Charlotte's skill for the dance was revealed by her mother, Kate Middleton, during a visit with Ukrainian refugees.
While chatting to a young girl named Liza, the Princess of Wales got to talking about songs the young girl liked to sing and other hobbies she enjoyed, and the young girl told Kate she loved to dance.
The Princess of Wales replied that her daughter, "Charlotte likes dancing, she loves ballet and tap..." before adding "Keep up the dancing."
In 2023, Kate even took Charlotte and friends to the Saturday evening performance of Cinderella by the Royal Ballet and the National Ballet of Canada at the Royal Opera House in London.
Diana was a huge lover of ballet, and famously danced on the stage of the Royal Opera House in 1985.
Princess Diana was a skilled diver
Sure, she always made a splash in the headlines, but the late Princess of Wales actually knew how to do the complete opposite when it came to diving.
The Di could've stood for diver, as per Business Insider, as Lady Diana was a natural at the sport during her time at school and even created a signature move.
The “Spencer Special” - named after Diana's family surname - reportedly saw her managing to dive in the water with almost no splash whatsoever.
Like Diana, Kate Middleton is an accredited diver
Taking after her mother-in-law, and a continuation of her natural talents for sports and physicality, Kate reportedly loves diving and even gained her the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI) open water diving qualification, which allows her to dive up to 30m below the surface.
This depth is as far as one can go without the need of mandatory decompression stop during the ascend before ending the dive, making it even the more impressive.
A spokesperson for Kensington Palace confirmed Kate had gained her qualification at the time, stating, "Diving is something the Duchess very much enjoys, and the Duke of Cambridge, who is of course President of the BSAC, has said in the past that he is hopeful his children will become interested in the sport."
Kate is a strong rower, who was set to race across the Channel
Another sport, another opportunity for Kate Middleton to prove she has a hidden talent!
This time it was team rowing - and it was something the Princess of Wales reportedly loved. She could even tiller a dragon boat - which is not the stuff of beginners, reportedly - and was set to take part in a race across the English Channel in 2007.
Kate was taking part in the 21-strong female crew, called The Sisterhood, to race a boat of men across the body of water. However, privacy and security concerns for the future Queen (who had recently reunited with William after a brief split) meant it couldn't go ahead as planned.
The Prince and Princess of Wales can both sign
In 2023, Catherine, Princess of Wales displayed an impressive use of sign language while on a royal visit to the National Maritime Museum Cornwall, in Falmouth.
Speaking with children from a local primary school ahead of a model boat race, Kate slipped in some impromptu sign language to speak to a child who was hard of hearing.
The Princess had used the language before. In 2014, she used the skill to make the Scout promise, " promise to do my best, to be kind and helpful and to love my world."
It's a talent she shares with her husband. In 2020, William presented an MBE to sign language expert Alex Duguid, who signed for deaf ITV viewers for decades.
Kate Middleton is a beekeeper
The future Queen is rather proficient at handling other queen bees, as, like her brother James Middleton, the Princess is a keen beekeeper.
Upon a visit to the Natural History Museum in 2021, the Princess of Wales revealed she kept bees at her Norfolk residence.
Per Country Living, during her visit, she brought along a jar of honey from the Norfolk garden, offering it to children from St Mary of the Angels Primary School in London. She said, "Would you like to try some? I've got one spoon each. This came specially from my beehive."
Kate went on to ask the children whether they knew how many species of bees there were in England, telling them "It’s 350, isn't that amazing?"
You know what, Kate, that is amazing.
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