Prince George’s drawing of a kingfisher has attracted attention after observers noticed striking similarities between the royal’s artwork and an illustration featured in a YouTube drawing tutorial published seven years ago.
The 13-year-old’s sketch appeared in the latest edition of Country Life magazine, which was guest-edited by his father, Prince William.
The artwork has generated discussion about George’s artistic abilities, with viewers highlighting the resemblance to an earlier drawing by American artist Matt Fussell.
George’s Artwork Features in Country Life Magazine
The young prince’s kingfisher illustration was included in this month’s edition of Country Life, following discussions between Prince William and the magazine’s editor, Mark Hedges, about the publication‘s contents.
Mr Hedges revealed that he had visited Prince William at Windsor Palace to discuss his plans for the magazine.
He subsequently received George’s drawing in June and immediately recognised its potential significance.
“I had gone to see Prince William at Windsor Palace and we had discussed what he wanted to have in the magazine,” Hedges said.
“Then in June I was sent this picture George had done. I looked at it and I knew it was going to be a big deal.”
Observers Notice Similarities to Seven-Year-Old Tutorial
Attention turned to the drawing after eagle-eyed observers identified similarities between George’s kingfisher and an illustration featured in a YouTube tutorial by Matt Fussell.
The two images appear remarkably alike, particularly in the bird’s distinctive feather patterns and angled posture.
Fussell’s original tutorial was published seven years ago and forms part of a four-part drawing lesson series designed to teach aspiring artists how to create a kingfisher illustration.
The lesson demonstrates how to draw the bird on smooth Bristol paper using Prismacolor Premiere coloured pencils.
However, it remains unclear whether George watched the tutorial before producing his artwork or whether the resemblance between the two drawings is coincidental.
Artist Praises Prince George’s Drawing
Fussell has expressed admiration for the young royal’s artistic efforts, describing the illustration as an impressive piece of work.
Speaking to the Daily Mail, he said: “Prince George did a fantastic job on his kingfisher drawing.
It’s a beautiful piece of art and he should be incredibly proud.”
The artist also acknowledged the resemblance between the two illustrations but stopped short of claiming that George had used his online lesson.
“While I can’t say for certain whether he used my lesson, the similarities are certainly exciting to see,” he added.
Fussell said he would be thrilled if Prince George had followed his tutorial to produce the drawing.
