Hidden talents of members of the royal family, from the Queen's photography to Meghan Markle's calligraphy

The Queen was given her first camera by her father, King George VI, before the start of World War II. She has been taking photos ever since, capturing scenes of her family. The Daily Mail said she had an "effortless knack of capturing her family at their most informal and most relaxed."

Did you know that the Duchess of Sussex has a talent for penmanship? She used to teach calligraphy at a Paper Source store in Beverly Hills. She's also worked freelance for celebrity clients, and even completed the wedding invitations for Robin Thicke's 2005 wedding to Paula Patton.

Like his great-great-great-grandmother Queen Victoria, the Prince of Wales is an avid artist. He prefers watercolors and to paint scenes of natural beauty, like mountains and lakes. Though he describes himself as an "enthusiastic amateur," he is a honorary member of the Royal Academy and the Royal Watercolour Society, and his paintings have sold for more than $2 million.

Princess Beatrice of York is the daughter of Prince Andrew and Sarah the Duchess of York. In 2010, she became the first royal to complete the London Marathon. She ran the marathon with friends under the name of "Team Caterpillar" to raise money for charity.

The 98-year-old royal is a passionate gardener and has had great success in growing truffles. According to the Times, he is the first person to cultivate black truffles on British soil. He began trying to grow the fungi 12 years earlier before they finally succeeded in 2018.

The Duke of Cambridge learned how to speak the language while studying at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, according to the BBC. He used his talent in a meeting in Tanzania with the country's president, John Magufuli, in 2018.

Though she doesn't play much anymore, the Duchess of Cambridge told the Express that she played from "[her] school years until the age of 18." In 2017, she tried her hand at conducting a prestigious orchestra in Hamburg, Germany.

During World War II, when she was just 18 years old, the Queen — then Princess Elizabeth — joined the Women's Auxiliary Territorial Service. It was there that she learned how to drive a truck and change a spark plug. She is the only female member of the royal family to have been in the armed forces.

Both Zara and her mother, Princess Anne, have competed in equestrian events at the Olympics, representing Great Britain. Tindall won a silver medal at the Summer 2012 Olympics, which was presented to her by her mother.

Lady Gabriella, the Queen's first cousin once removed, released "Out of the Blue" and "Bam Bam" in August 2020 to raise money and awareness for a music education non-profit, the Playing For Change Foundation. She wrote the lyrics and melodies for the songs, which were released under the name Ella Windsor. They can be found on Spotify and iTunes.

"It's a little daunting, but exciting too," she told Hello! magazine.

Lady Gabriella also works as a freelance writer.

Diana was not only a fashion icon and activist, but was also known to be a talented diver. According to Yahoo, she was a star in the sport in school, and even created her own signature move: The "Spencer Special" was known to be a dive with almost no splash.

In 2013 the Ministry of Defence announced that the Prince had qualified as a Apache helicopter commander, after three years of training. The same year, he completed a five-month tour of Afghanistan.

Ferguson became a part of the royal family in 1986 when she married Prince Andrew. However, the pair divorced 10 years later in 1996.

Ferguson has a talent for writing and drawing, which she has used to create over 20 children's' books. She has also written an autobiography, "My Story: Sarah, the Duchess of York."

The young prince also takes after his mom: Kate has a degree in art history and is a talented photographer. Though he's stated he wants to be a policeman when he grows up, George is currently third in line to the throne and will likely be king one day.

Another one of the Duchess of Sussex's talents is her culinary ability. Harry actually proposed to her after a chicken dinner that she cooked. She has also supported a charity cookbook and, according to People, she cooks for herself and Harry every day.

For the wedding of her sister, Pippa Middleton, Kate drew St. Mark's Church in Englefield, Berkshire, where the ceremony took place. According to the Mirror, Pippa's husband, James Matthews, praised her skills in his wedding speech: "To Pippa's sister Kate, such ability – a beautiful drawing of St Mark's church in the order of service."

Apparently the Queen has quite a sense of humor. Royal biographer Ingrid Seward said that she is a "really, really good mimic." Seward also said she believes the ability to laugh together is what has kept the Queen and Prince Philip's marriage strong through the decades.

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