King Charles set to abandon a £100 million royal family hobby that’s been passed down for generations
The monarch doesn't share the same passion for this expensive royal hobby
King Charles is expected to give up on an expensive royal family hobby that his late mother, Queen Elizabeth II, was fond of - and one that had been passed down for generations.
When it comes to hobbies, there are plenty of things to do with the kids that don't have to cost a fortune, including at this time of year Halloween games for kids or 10 fun Halloween traditions to start with your kids.
But after we revealed King Charles' 'dangerous' hobby it's understood that he isn't planning to continue a hobby once enjoyed by his late mother.
The monarch took to the throne in 2022 following the death of Queen Elizabeth II, and he has always had a passion for gardening and the great outdoors, while his late mother took up the traditional hobby of stamp collecting.
This hobby has been passed down from generation to generation and OK! reported that this is estimated to be worth a staggering £100 million - but despite its high value, it's understood that King Charles doesn't share his ancestors' love of stamps.
The late Queen had been the fifth royal to add to the world famous Royal Philatelic Collection - the world's finest and most comprehensive collection of British and commonwealth stamps, following its inauguration by Queen Victoria's son Prince Alfred in 1864.
The Royal Philatelic Collection timeline
- May 6, 1840 first postage stamp is produced during the reign of Queen Victoria, according to allboutstamps.co.uk
- 1864 Prince Alfred
- 1901 King Edward VII
- 1910 King George V
- 1936 King George VI
- 1952 Queen Elizabeth II
- 2022 King Charles
Over the years the monarchs have contributed to the collection, with King George V having set the record for the highest price ever paid for a stamp. In 1904 a courtier asked the then-prince if he had seen "that some damned fool had paid as much as £1,450 for a single stamp" to which King George replied, "Yes, I am that damned fool."
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When Queen Elizabeth II inherited the stamp collection it boasted 328 albums of stamps.
Royal expert Phil Dampier spoke of the collection before the Queen's death, he said, "The Queen loves showing her stamp collection to visitors, say heads of state who stay at Buckingham Palace.
"It is one of her pride and joys, not only because she owns some of the world’s most valuable stamps, but also because she has built on a family treasure and feels she has done her father and previous monarchs who owned it proud.”
But since the collection has been passed on to King Charles, it's not likely to be added to, as he has a passion for painting.
Speaking about his painting hobby King Charles admitted, "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. I took up painting entirely because I found photography less than satisfying."
Perhaps he will pass the collection on to son Prince William who is next in line to the throne in line of royal succession or grandson Prince George.
In other royal news, King Charles reveals his hopes that granddaughter Princess Charlotte will ‘look after him’ when he is ‘very old’ and Prince William's hobby 'terrifies' Kate and we can totally see why she doesn't want Prince George to follow in his father's footsteps.
Selina is a Senior Family Writer for GoodtoKnow and has more than 16 years years of experience. She specialises in royal family news, including the latest activities of Prince George, Charlotte, Louis, Archie and Lilibet. She also covers the latest government, health and charity advice for families. Selina graduated from the University of Sheffield in 2006 with a degree in Journalism, and gained her NCTJ and NCE qualifications. During her career, she’s also written for Woman, Woman's Own, Woman&Home, and Woman's Weekly as well as Heat magazine, Bang Showbiz - and the Scunthorpe Telegraph. When she's not covering family news, you can find her exploring new countryside walking routes, catching up with friends over good food, or making memories (including award-winning scarecrows!)
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