Prince George’s Remarkable Artwork Sparks Debate

Detailed summary

Some accused Prince William and Princess Kate of hiding whether or not George had used a step-by-step art course.

Prince George's artwork of a kingfisher sparked allegations of deceit aimed at Prince William, while others said the backlash represented online trolls bullying a royal child.

The 13-year-old future king's intricate drawing of the brightly colored bird was published in an edition of Country Life magazine guest edited by William, his father.

Supporters of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle noticed a similarity between George's picture and one created by an online art tutor for a course.

One post on X, viewed around 780,000 times, read: "It’s a shame that Willy and Kate are so desperate for headlines that they’ve been caught out yet again lying about George’s artwork. What a dreadful example to set for their children."

William and Kate have not, as far as Newsweek can discern, stated the image was an original.

Debates over authenticity in public life, and particularly around images, have intensified in the age of artificial intelligence due to the ease with which fake imagery can be created. William, as guest editor, did not say that George had created the image from scratch, but also did not say whether it was produced through a course.

Some critics compared the debate to a moment in 2024 when Princess Kate apologized for editing a family photo showing her with her children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.

Another X account, also a prominent supporter of the Sussexes, wrote: "Prince George's amazing art wasn't actually his, lol. It's an art course through his school Eton and its a step-by-step design, that the course leads you."

There is nothing to suggest George did not draw the picture in question, social media users simply compared it to a drawing taught on an art course.

Opening of the article, excerpted from Newsweek. To read the rest, open the article on the publisher's site.