Prince Charles’ shares a more in-depth look inside his Birkhall study

Prince Charles offered fans a more in-depth look inside the Scottish study he shares with Camilla Parker Bowles.

Earlier today the Prince of Wales, 71, delivered a video message on behalf of his charity, The Prince’s Trust, about the devastating impact the coronavirus pandemic has had on young people.

The clip, shared to the charity’s Twitter page, shows Charles sitting at his desk at Birkhall, his home on the Queen’s Balmoral estate in Aberdeenshire. 

The camera angle provided a wider shot of the room than previously seen, revealing more personal effects and treasures belonging to him and his wife. 

As well as the stocked bookshelves, the video also reveals piles of books on the floor on both sides, as well as additional artwork and photographs on the wall.

1. Watercolour of Balmoral

It is rather fitting that the prince would have a painting of Balmoral Castle, owned by his mother and recognisable by its magnificent array turrets and towers, in his study on the estate.

It is not known who painted the work, but with Charles being an accomplished painter it is entirely possible he is the artist behind it.

2. Painting of the Castle of Mey

The Castle of Mey, in Caithness, belonged to the Queen Mother from 1952 to 1996, when Her Majesty gifted it with an endowment to The Queen Elizabeth Castle of Mey Trust, of which The Duke of Rothesay – as Prince Charles is known when in Scotland – is President. 

The Queen Mother set about renovating and restoring both the castle and its gardens and parklands, which extended to about 30 acres. Following this, she spent three weeks in August at the castle, returning for about 10 days in October each year.

In May last year, Charles formally opened The Granary Lodge, a new bed and breakfast in the grounds. 

3. A painting of lillies

Propped on a stack of books is an unframed watercolour painting of peach lillies – a vase of the blooms were previously spotted on his desk – with a handwritten dedication.

The note appears to read: ‘Darling, happy anniversary, all my love,’ followed by the initial ‘C’ and a kiss.

The Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall recently celebrated 15 years of marriage, so it’s likely he painted the sweet composition for his wife as a gift.

4. Copy of The Mahabharata Book II: The Book Of The Assembly Hall

Among the pile of books on Charles’ floor is a copy of The Mahabharata Book II: The Book Of The Assembly Hall.  

The Mahabharata is the greatest epic of India, and arguably the greatest epic of any country. It is well known for including the Bhagavad Gita, an important scripture that influenced great thinkers like Gandhi, Aldous Huxley, Thoreau, J. Robert Oppenheimer, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Carl Jung, and Herman Hesse.

Charles and Camilla have travelled to India many times and are known to have a great fondness for the country. During a 2003 visit, he delivered a speech in Mumbai in which he said: ‘I will have to pay many more visits to this vast and diverse country for which I have a particular affection.’

5. Hand-painted light shade

Beside the bookshelves stands a floor lamp with a cream shade featuring a hand-painted galleon sailing on choppy seas.

It is possible the ship is a representation of HMS Royal Charles – an 80-gun first-rate three-decker ship of the line of the English Navy. 

She was built by Peter Pett and launched at Woolwich Dockyard in 1655, for the navy of the Commonwealth of England. 

6. Family photographs

It is tricky to see who is featured in this clipframe due to the reflection of the light, however the figure that is most clear has a resemblance of his granddaughter Princess Charlotte.

In front of the frame are three quail feathers; the birds can often be spotted in this area of Scotland in the summer.

7. Shattered by Dick Francis

Among the many books seen behind Prince Charles is Shattered by British thriller writer Dick Francis. Francis, who died in 2000, had a successful horseracing career before becoming the author and was known as the Queen Mother’s favourite jockey.

It is therefore possible the book was brought to the house by the Queen Mother and has been kept by her grandson.

Like many of Francis’ novels, Shattered features horse racing and opens with the death of a jockey at Cheltenham Racecourse on New Year’s Eve.

8. The Door Wherein I Went by Lord Hailsham

In a signal of the royal family’s varied interests, next to Shattered is The Door Wherein I Went, the spiritual autobiography of Conservative politician Quintin Hogg, Baron Hailsham of St Marylebone.

Lord Hailsham, who died in 2001, published the book in 1975.

The book includes a passage about suicide. When he was a young man his half-brother Edward Marjoribanks had taken his own life, and the experience left Hailsham with a deep conviction that suicide is always wrong.

9. Tropica: Color Cyclopedia of Exotic Plants and Trees from the Tropics and Subtropics by Alfred Byrd Graf

Prince Charles and the Queen Mother’s love of horticulture comes through once again in this 1978 book. The date of publication means it is possible it pre-dates Charles and Camilla’s residency at the property. The hardback book has been described as a ‘masterpiece’ and ‘incomparable’ by fans online. 

10. Framed photograph of a grazing stag

Just visible over Prince Charles right shoulder is a photo of a stag in a clear frame. Deer roam the 50,000 acre Aberdeenshire estate so it is possible the image was taken there. 

11. Framed photo of the Queen, Prince Philip and the Queen Mother

On the far right-hand side of the shelf there is a large framed photograph of the Queen, Prince Philip and the Queen mother at a black tie function. 

Details of the event are not known, however the fact that both the Queen and Queen Mother are not wearing tiaras means it was not taken at a state banquet. 

The positioning of the family members – with the Queen on the edge, rather than in the centre – means it is likely the photo was taken when the Queen was still a princess. The formation suggests the Queen’s father, King George VI, is just out of frame. 

12. Miniature stuffed teddy bear with a bow

In front of the family photo is an adorable miniature stuffed teddy bear with a bow tied around its neck. Little is known about the toy but the design suggests it came into the royal family’s possession several decades ago.

13. Photograph of grandson Archie

Slipped into the frame of the photo of the Queen, Prince Philip and the Queen Mother is a sweet photo of Charles holding a baby dressed in a white sun hat and a white T-shirt with navy blue piping.

The quality of the image suggests it is a recent snap of one of his four grandchildren, and the age of the baby means it is likely to be Archie.

It is thought that Prince Charles would have last seen his youngest grandson before Christmas, so it is possible Prince Harry and Meghan Markle sent the photograph as reminder. In front of the picture is what looks like a scented candle.

14. Painting of a military man in formal dress

It is unclear who the man is in this image; the uniform suggests it may be one of Charles’ ancestors from the 1700s.

15. Photograph of Llwynywermod

Judging by the architecture of the cottage behind the people in this photograph, it looks to be a picture taken at Llwynywermod, the Welsh home of The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall in Llandovery, Myddfai.

The photo shows the couple enjoying the garden, lounging on sun chairs.

16. Potted fern

To the right of the bookshelf on the floor is a potted fern. A keen gardener, Charles has taken great pride in ‘enhancing’ the grounds that were lovingly cultivated by Birkhall’s previous resident, the Queen Mother. 

Speaking about the garden in a 2013 Country Life interview, Charles described it as a ‘special place’. 

17.  Copy of Cosmic Hologram

Within another pile of books is a copy of Cosmic Hologram, by Jude Currivan, Ph.D, a cosmologist, futurist, planetary healer and previously one of the most senior business women in the UK. 

Jude has a master’s degree in physics from Oxford University and a doctorate in archaeology from the University of Reading in the UK. The book looks at how holographic patterns of information underlie our physical reality.

Charles read history, archaeology and anthropology at Trinity College Cambridge and graduated with a 2:2 in 1970.