Prince William selected a detailed kingfisher study drawn by his 13-year-old son, Prince George, to feature in a bumper 300-page issue of Country Life magazine published on November 11.
Prince George executed the colorful illustration of the bird perched on a branch during the spring months at home when he was 12 years old, according to Yahoo Entertainment. Prince William oversaw the special edition as guest editor, spending six months preparing the publication alongside editor-in-chief Mark Hedges and managing editor Paula Minchin.
Before deciding to include the work, William showed the study to Hedges with a modest caveat. George follows in the footsteps of his grandfather, King Charles, who is a keen artist.
The Princess of Wales studied history of art at university. In 2025, Kate and her children released portrait sketches they had drawn of each other.
Prince William used the commemorative edition to share reflections on his personal life and public duties. He recalled growing up at Highgrove in Gloucestershire, where he learned early on to avoid opening his curtains before dressing because the garden was often filled with visitors. He detailed his preference for a casual pub visit, and said his drink of choice is a pint of cider with ice.
Prince William is a major landowner through the Duchy of Cornwall estate, which spans 128,000 acres across parts of England and Wales. He dedicated the magazine leader column to responsible stewardship and community longevity.
Mark Hedges, Country Life’s editor-in-chief, described the prince as a formidable and hands-on guest editor during the preparation process. Managing editor Paula Minchin said that the special edition reflects the prince’s love for wild swimming, his dogs Orla and Otto, walking, and spending time outdoors with his children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis.
Prince William met with Hedges and Minchin at Windsor Castle to review drafts, examine layouts, and sign off on the final pages. Among his favorite items, the prince listed a bird identification mobile app, his dogs, and a 2016 Land Rover Defender finished in British racing green.
The places you love best are not the ones you preserve unchanged, but the ones you keep quietly improving. One day, George, Charlotte and Louis may ask me what I did to help communities thrive… we didn’t simply imagine a better future, we helped build it, so that someone else could build further still.
Prince William, The Prince of Wales, via ITVX
The special edition includes Prince William’s culinary weakness for chocolate biscuit cake, a no-bake treat he selected as his wedding cake in 2011.
The future head of the armed forces addressed the safety and respect afforded to women serving in the military. Over the past year, Prince William conducted private and public meetings with servicewomen of all ranks across the Royal Navy, the RAF, and the Army as a priority to understand their experiences firsthand and advocate for institutional improvements, ensuring they feel safe, respected, and valued.
The commemorative issue follows in a royal tradition of guest editorship. King Charles previously edited the magazine twice, for his 65th birthday in November 2013 and his 70th birthday in 2018, Princess Anne oversaw an edition in 2020, and Queen Camilla guest-edited the publication in 2022 to mark her 75th birthday, an issue that became the magazine’s biggest-selling edition of all time and featured a front cover photograph taken by the Princess of Wales.
