Hrh the Prince of Wales Watercolours

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Offered upfront as you approach is some insight into what the Prince thinks about it all. “I am under no illusion that my sketches represent great art or a burgeoning talent! They represent, more than anything else, my particular form of ‘photograph album’ and, as such, mean a great deal to me,” a message on the wall reads. He also cites his “first sketches” (he is understood to have taken up painting in his 20s in the 1970s) declaring “I’m appalled by how bad they are.” So what kept him going? “You become increasingly aware of things that may have escaped your attention previously—things like the quality of light and shade, of tone and texture and of the shape of buildings in relation to the landscape. It all requires the most intense concentration and, consequently, is one of the most relaxing and therapeutic exercises I know. In fact, in my case, I find it transports me into another dimension which, quite literally, refreshes parts of the soul which other activities can’t reach.” Price is due to additional costs incurred on all shipments that are variable and out of our control.)

It’s laid out in a series of rooms, each grouped by geographical region, with just a short note as to where each watercolour was created.

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It’s a modest-sized exhibition, probably about 50 paintings all told, and on my visit just a handful of visitors. It’s also worth visiting though for the chance to see inside the restored Garrison Chapel, which has been turned into an exhibition space by the Prince’s Foundation to exhibit elements of its work, with a particular emphasis on traditional arts and heritage craft skills plus a number of special exhibitions and events. Taking pride of place among His Royal Highness’s paintings will be Ben Hymers’ painstakingly created woven interpretation of Abandoned Cottage on the Isle of Stroma. The tapestry was presented to The Prince at Dumfries House in 2019 and is now on display at The Castle of Mey. The Prince signs his painting with a simple C and the date — C ’98, which for any other painter could leave future Antiques Roadshow experts wailing as to why the mysterious C never signed his name. In this case though, the paintings are likely to end up in the Royal Collection, the provenance undisputed.

The tapestry consists of hundreds of different colours of yarn, and the tips of the cottage chimneys are made of undyed natural wool from Welsh Lleyn sheep, a breed that The Prince has on his Highgrove estate in Gloucestershire. This is not the first time that the Prince’s watercolors have been on display. 50 were shown at Hampton Court for his 50th birthday in 1998 and 30 have since been exhibited in Australia. Signed lithographs of some have been sold to raise money for his charitable foundation. Rumor has it that the Prince has not painted much since 2019, but he already has almost 700 pieces to his name. He is self-deprecating about their value as “great art.” But few can argue that they capture a fascinating story about the man who will one day be king. Ben, from Otley, took eight months to complete the complex interpretation at Dovecot Studios in Edinburgh after loaning The Prince’s original watercolour from Clarence House.The whole point of this piece of work is to showcase tapestry as a contemporary art form and to show that it still has impact. If, by being viewed by visitors to The Castle of Mey, it sparks someone’s imagination or encourages them to weave, that’s great.” I am under no illusion that my sketches represent great art or a burgeoning talent! They represent, more than anything else, my particular form of ‘photograph album’ and, as such, mean a great deal to me.” An exhibition at Hampton Court Palace in 1998, held to mark The Prince’s 50th birthday, displayed 50 of his watercolours, while The National Gallery of Australia’s exhibition in 2018 to celebrate another landmark HRH birthday showed 30 pieces. A London exhibition by The Prince’s Foundation showcasing 79 of HRH The Prince of Wales’s watercolours represents the largest-ever display of The Prince’s work and the first full exhibition of his watercolours.