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Catherine, Princess of Wales is often seen laughing and joking away with her father-in-law, King Charles, but it turns out, the two don’t see eye to eye on everything. In fact, one of Kate’s favorite hobbies got quite the negative review from His Majesty, who deemed it “less than satisfying.”
The Princess of Wales is known for having plenty of hobbies – from tennis to the “crazy” practise of cold water swimming (which she apparently likes to do when it’s dark out). But when she’s not getting active, Kate is known to love to step behind the camera.
The Princess’ love for photography has blossomed over the years, and fans have come to look forward to seeing the special snaps she takes herself of her children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, to mark their birthdays.
Most recently, adorable photos taken by Kate were shared to honor Princess Charlotte’s 10th birthday.
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As well as a hobby, the Princess of Wales has actually landed some impressive landmarks through her photography. She shot the cover photo of Queen Camilla’s guest-edited issue of Country Life magazine in 2022, which was awarded the Cover of the Year at the PPA Awards.
Speaking to Hello! in 2021 after photographing Kate at Anmer Hall a year earlier, Matt Porteous also praised her as having an “amazing eye” for photos.
“Catherine is an amazing photographer, we have both shared tips on location and talked about light, settings and styles,” he explained. “Catherine has an amazing eye for photos so will always point us in the right direction for light and backdrops. I’m always looking for the best light and will work with this in every scene.”
Despite all of this, King Charles isn’t a fan. He’s even dubbed it “less than satisfying”.
According to the King’s Foundation, when a selection of His Majesty’s watercolor artwork went on display in January 2022, King Charles candidly revealed his opinion of photography in a panel display.
“I took up painting entirely because I found photography less than satisfying,” the monarch shared. “Quite simply, I experienced an overwhelming urge to express what I saw through the medium of watercolor and to convey that almost ‘inner’ sense of texture which is impossible to achieve via photography.”
Credit: Photo by Karwai Tang/WireImage via Getty
Unlike his daughter in law, Charles instead turned to painting. He shared, “I very quickly discovered how incredibly difficult it is to paint well in such a spontaneous medium, and the feeling of frustration at not being able to achieve on paper the image that your eye has presented you with is intense!”
King Charles’ passion for painting has even seen him sell his works, raising approximately $2.6 million (£2 million) since 1997 for charity.
Charles might find it “impossible” but we’re happy Kate keeps showcasing her skills behind the camera, including heart-warming snaps of the family in situations we don’t normally get to see of the royals, including the memorable action shot taken of William and the kids playing around in the sand for his birthday in 2024.
And even if they don’t agree on photography, Kate’s History of Art degree will surely come in handy when she wants to discuss watercolors and other painting with her father-in-law.