A detailed drawing of a kingfisher by 13-year-old Prince George takes pride of place in a 300-page special edition of Country Life magazine, guest-edited by his father, the Prince of Wales.
The issue, which is published this week, offers a rare look at the artistic pursuits of the young royal alongside personal insights from the Prince and Princess of Wales.
His father, the Prince of Wales, spent six months preparing the bumper edition, which features the young prince’s work as part of a broader showcase of family life and countryside values. Prince George is currently a pupil at Eton College, where he is boarding, and recently returned to the school grounds following an extended half-term break spent at home with his siblings, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.
The family’s interest in art is a recurring theme; Prince George appears to be following in the footsteps of his grandfather, the King, who is a keen artist, while the Princess of Wales studied art at A-level and history of art at St Andrews University in Scotland.
Last year, the Princess and her children shared portraits they drew of one another, which Kensington Palace described as a moment for the family to connect and focus on each other while being creative.
Princess of Wales discusses her non-linear recovery journey
The magazine edition also features an interview with the Princess of Wales, who discussed her recovery journey following her cancer treatment two years ago.
Speaking with nature writer Robert Macfarlane, the Princess said: “I was told in hospital that my recovery would not be linear. There will be good days and bad days, that it will take time. This is the same in nature. It shows us that periods of rest, reflection and renewal are equally as important as moments of growth.”
He recalled his own childhood growing up at the King’s Gloucestershire retreat, Highgrove, where he learned to be cautious about opening curtains before dressing because the gardens were often filled with visitors.
He also shared his fondness for visiting a pub for a chat and a pint of cider with ice, and admitted his support for his “second family,” Aston Villa, has become “fanatical.” Unai Emery, the club’s manager, appeared in a video to mark the magazine’s release.
Priorities in the countryside and military
Beyond personal anecdotes, the Prince of Wales used the magazine to set out his drive to ensure women in the British armed forces feel safe, respected, and valued. He called for a military culture that is more inclusive, noting that more must be done to protect women from sexual harassment.
This focus follows the death of 19-year-old soldier Jaysley Beck in 2021; a coroner ruled that the Army’s failure to act after Gunner Beck was harassed by her line manager and sexually assaulted by another colleague contributed to her suicide.
“The places you love best are not the ones you preserve unchanged, but the ones you keep quietly improving,” he wrote.
The edition also highlights the Prince’s “countryside champions,” including wildlife rangers, curlew conservationists, and next-generation farming students from Duchy College in Cornwall. Additionally, the Prince shared his weakness for chocolate biscuit cake, a treat first served to him by his grandmother, the Queen, and which he chose as his wedding cake in 2011.
Mark Hedges, the editor-in-chief of Country Life, described the Prince as a “formidable, hands-on guest editor.” The Prince of Wales is the latest royal to take on the role, following the King—who has edited the magazine to mark his 65th and 70th birthdays—as well as Queen Camilla and the Princess Royal.
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