King Charles’ earnings from lucrative painting hobby as his art goes on sale

A reproduction of a painting by King Charles is up for auction today and is said to have received an unprecedented amount of interest.

The painting of Balmoral Castle was created in 2001 and was reprinted in a limited run of 100 productions, with print number 18 going up for sale.

The rare print is being sold by fine art auctioneers Bonhams as part of their "The Scottish Home" auction.

It has been signed by the King himself and comes with a certificate of authentication.

Managing director of Bonhams May Matthews said: “We were quite flabbergasted to see the level of interest in this.

“We’ve had interest from all over the globe and we expect to go for well over the estimate. Prints that Charles has done usually go for around £400-£600.”

As the painting heads to auction, here's how much money King Charles has made from his paintings.

Is King Charles an artist?

King Charles has been painting for over 50 years now, as the new monarch took to painting in the 1970s after being inspired by Robert Waddell, who was his art master at Gordonstoun School in Scotland.

He also revealed at a display panel for an exhibition of his work earlier this year that he turned to painting after finding photography "less than satisfying".

Opening up about his passion for painting, he added: "I find it transports me into another dimension which, quite literally, refreshes parts of the soul which other activities can’t reach.”

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He only paints in watercolours and paints primarily landscapes, including views of the Balmoral estate, streams, mountains and other family homes including Castle Mey, the former home of the Queen Mother.

Charles' paintings were first put on exhibition in 1977 in Windsor Castle and have since been shown by the Royal Collection Trust as well as a large exhibition for his 70th birthday.

In 1997, one of his works was used on the annual ski pass for Swiss ski resort Klosters and in 1994 his painting of Arkle Mountain in Scotland featured on UK stamps.

How much money does King Charles make from his art?

King Charles has described himself as an "enthusiastic amateur" when it comes to his art, but despite this he's been able to rack up some considerable earnings selling his paintings over the years.

In 2016 it was reported by The Telegraph that the monarch had made a massive £2million from selling copies of his paintings since 1997.

They also reported that an art dealer who previously handled sales of his prints estimated that they made at least £4million, bringing the total earnings to a massive £6million.

The money raised goes to The Prince of Wales's Charitable Foundation.

But while this may seem like a hefty sum to most it only makes a small dent in the King's already considerable wealth, with Forbes estimating that he inherited a whopping £445million tax-free from the late Queen Elizabeth.

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