Future queen Kate’s secret hobby? Trendy grown-up colouring books!
THE Duchess of Cambridge has a secret hobby – colouring books for grown-ups – it emerged yesterday.
Kate, 34, has apparently joined the rising number of adults who relax by picking up crayons, her husband told leading illustrator Johanna Basford.
The artist was picking up an OBE at Buckingham Palace for services to art and entrepreneurship when Prince William, standing in for his grandmother, the Queen, revealed that his wife is a fan of her work.
Adult colouring books have become popular in recent times, with the ‘colour therapy’ craze capturing the imagination of those looking to de-stress and spend time away from looking at mobile phones and screens.
Bestselling illustrator Miss Basford, 33, who lives in Ellon, Scotland, said: ‘I think we’ve just seen the colouring community flourish. And Prince William actually said that his wife likes to colour in the Secret Garden, which was really sweet.’
Secret Garden was Miss Basford’s first book and has sold more than a million copies.
Kate studied history of art at university and has frequently said how much her children – Prince George, three, and 18-monthold Princess Charlotte – love to paint and draw. Spending most of her time with her
‘Antidote to modern life’
young family at Anmer Hall in Norfolk means Kate clearly has time on her hands.
Reflecting on the popularity of the activity, Miss Basford said: ‘I think people are just craving a digital detox.’
She was joined at the investiture ceremony by her husband James Watt, co- owner of craft beer company BrewDog, who was also picking up an honour – an MBE for services to the brewing industry.
Joking about the Duke and Duchess’s potential interests, Miss Basford said: ‘Maybe she’s a fan of my work and he’s a fan of my husband’s.’
The artist, who started drawing the colouring book illustrations as a way to relax in 2013, said her trip to the palace will inspire her current project.
‘I’m working on a new book just now and it’s set in a castle, funnily enough, so I will definitely try to remember everything,’ she said. ‘I’m sure little snippets of today will feature in the book.
‘I love all the really ornate picture frames and all the beautiful sculptures, and the candelabras are just stunning.’
Colouring books for grown-ups are taking the nation by storm, selling millions of copies and racing up book stores’ bestseller lists.
Fans say setting aside a few hours for col- ouring is relaxing and a good antidote to socalled ‘tech stress’. Hobbycraft, the UK’s largest craft retailer, recently said its sales of the books are up by 374 per cent.
TV property and crafts expert Kirstie Allsopp has maintained that hands-on tasks such as colouring help people relax, adding: ‘It’s the perfect antidote to the business of modern life and I’d recommend it to anyone feeling stressed.’ Other celebrity fans are said to include Nigella Lawson.
Even the Ordnance Survey mapping organisation has joined in the craze, releasing a set of black and white maps of major UK cities, which can be downloaded from its website to be coloured in.
Anna Grace-Davidson, of lifestyle consultants Grace Guru, has said the books ‘help to relax your mind and connect with your inner self … almost like yoga practice, only you don’t have to sweat to feel balanced’.