Marking its 25th anniversary, the Royal Drawing School hosted a reception at St James’s Palace attended by King Charles and Queen Camilla, unveiling ‘The Power of Drawing’ exhibition showcasing works by celebrated artists and highlighting the school’s enduring influence in nurturing creative talent across disciplines.
King Charles and Queen Camilla recently commemorated the 25th anniversary of the Royal Drawing School with a reception at St James’s Palace, marking a significant milestone for the institution they helped establish in 2000. The event celebrated the school’s enduring legacy in fostering artistic talent through the act of drawing, regarded widely as a universal form of expression. Central to the occasion was an exhibition titled The Power of Drawing, running from July 1 to 26, 2025, at the school’s Shoreditch location in London. This showcase features around 50 works by established and emerging artists, including renowned figures such as David Hockney, Tracey Emin, filmmaker Tim Burton, and designer Thomas Heatherwick, alongside contributions from the King himself.
King Charles, co-founder of the school alongside artist Catherine Goodman, praised her pivotal role in its establishment and development in a speech to guests during the reception. He expressed pride in the artistic achievements on display and reiterated his long-held belief in investing in creative talent for the future. The exhibition serves as a testament to the school’s role in nurturing artists, offering a platform that spans various creative disciplines including fine art, performance, film, architecture, and design.
Highlights of the exhibition include original charcoal works by Hockney, Burton’s rarely publicly exhibited watercolours, and Emin’s recent 2024 piece titled Because You Left – I Held On. Emin noted that King Charles has demonstrated a longstanding appreciation for art and reflected positively on the school’s mission, describing the collaboration as both “very appropriate” and for a “good cause.” The event also featured performances such as Rufus Wainwright’s rendition of Hallelujah on piano, and an emotional moment when Douglas Farthing, a former soldier turned artist, shared some of his pencil sketches created during his humanitarian work in Ukraine. Farthing, who credits the school for its ongoing support of alumni, mentioned a brief but meaningful conversation with the King, who had served as his Colonel-in-Chief, underscoring the personal connections formed through the institution.
The Royal Drawing School, a not-for-profit organisation based in Shoreditch, delivers more than 350 in-person and online courses annually, including its flagship postgraduate Drawing Year programme which boasts a distinguished alumni network. Alongside the exhibition, a broader series of public talks, masterclasses, and events linked to the anniversary will continue through 2026. This ongoing programme highlights the school’s commitment to elevating the profile of drawing as a fundamental artistic skill in an increasingly digital and AI-dominated world, a sentiment echoed by visiting artist Grayson Perry, who remarked on drawing’s essential human quality.
Founded with the aim of raising the standard and profile of drawing, the school’s influence now spans diverse fields, as seen in The Power of Drawing exhibition’s eclectic roster of contributors. These include not only artists and designers but also architectural visionaries and performers, reflecting the fundamental role of drawing across creative industries. Admission to the exhibition is free, though booking is required, inviting the public to engage with a medium that remains central to artistic exploration and education.
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Source: Noah Wire Services
- https://www.irishnews.com/news/uk/king-and-queen-meet-artists-to-celebrate-25-years-of-royal-drawing-school-U656WX2QMZOAHO25B7KJJMWMS4/ – Please view link – unable to able to access data
- https://www.royaldrawingschool.org/lectures-events/the-power-of-drawing-marking-25-years-of-the-royal-drawing-school/ – The Royal Drawing School is hosting ‘The Power of Drawing’ exhibition from 1 to 26 July 2025 at their Shoreditch location. This free exhibition celebrates the school’s 25th anniversary and showcases the central role of drawing across various creative disciplines, including fine art, performance, film, architecture, illustration, and design. The exhibition features works by renowned artists such as Quentin Blake, Frank Bowling, Tim Burton, Tacita Dean, Es Devlin, Tracey Emin, Denzil Forrester, Norman Foster, Catherine Goodman, Antony Gormley, Thomas Heatherwick, David Hockney, Eileen Hogan, Jony Ive, Chantal Joffe, Rachel Jones, Bharti Kher, Christopher Le Brun, Charlie Mackesy, Ishbel Myerscough, Humphrey Ocean, Alice Oswald, Cornelia Parker, and Rufus Wainwright. His Majesty the King, Founding Patron of the Royal Drawing School, will also contribute an original drawing to this special celebratory exhibition, as will the School’s alumni from the past 25 years. The exhibition is open Monday to Friday from 9am to 6pm and Saturdays from 10am to 4pm. Admission is free, but booking is required.
- https://www.royaldrawingschool.org/exhibitions/the-power-of-drawing-marking-25-years-of-the-royal-drawing-school/ – The Royal Drawing School is hosting ‘The Power of Drawing’ exhibition from 1 to 26 July 2025 at their Shoreditch location. This free exhibition celebrates the school’s 25th anniversary and showcases the central role of drawing across various creative disciplines, including fine art, performance, film, architecture, illustration, and design. The exhibition features works by renowned artists such as Quentin Blake, Frank Bowling, Tim Burton, Tacita Dean, Es Devlin, Tracey Emin, Denzil Forrester, Norman Foster, Catherine Goodman, Antony Gormley, Thomas Heatherwick, David Hockney, Eileen Hogan, Jony Ive, Chantal Joffe, Rachel Jones, Bharti Kher, Christopher Le Brun, Charlie Mackesy, Ishbel Myerscough, Humphrey Ocean, Alice Oswald, Cornelia Parker, and Rufus Wainwright. His Majesty the King, Founding Patron of the Royal Drawing School, will also contribute an original drawing to this special celebratory exhibition, as will the School’s alumni from the past 25 years. The exhibition is open Monday to Friday from 9am to 6pm and Saturdays from 10am to 4pm. Admission is free, but booking is required.
- https://www.royaldrawingschool.org/exhibitions/ – The Royal Drawing School’s exhibitions page provides information on current and past exhibitions, including ‘The Power of Drawing: Marking 25 Years of the Royal Drawing School’, ‘Drawn Together: Royal Drawing School Summer Show 2025’, ‘Drawn Together: Royal Drawing School Summer Show 2024’, and others. These exhibitions showcase the work of the school’s students and alumni, highlighting the central role of drawing across various creative disciplines.
- https://www.royaldrawingschool.org/ – The Royal Drawing School is an independent, not-for-profit educational organisation and registered charity based in Shoreditch, London. Founded in 2000 by King Charles III (then Prince of Wales) and artist Catherine Goodman, the school offers full and part-time drawing courses each year for adults and children of all abilities. These include a postgraduate programme, The Drawing Year, a Foundation Year, public programmes, and courses for Young Artists aged 10–18 years. The school aims to raise the standard and profile of drawing through teaching and practice.
- https://www.irishnews.com/news/uk/king-and-queen-meet-artists-to-celebrate-25-years-of-royal-drawing-school-U656WX2QMZOAHO25B7KJJMWMS4/ – King Charles and Queen Camilla marked the 25th anniversary of the Royal Drawing School with a reception at St James’s Palace. The exhibition, ‘The Power Of Drawing’, features 50 works by well-known names and emerging talent, celebrating the act of drawing as a universal form of expression. Among the contributors are artists David Hockney and Tracey Emin, filmmaker Tim Burton, designer Thomas Heatherwick, and the King himself. The King, who co-founded the school in 2000 with artist Catherine Goodman, praised its legacy in a speech to guests. Highlights include Hockney’s original charcoal pieces, Burton’s untitled watercolour, and Emin’s 2024 piece titled ‘Because You Left – I Held On’. A standout moment from the evening came from Douglas Farthing, a former Parachute Regiment soldier turned artist, who spent 16 months in Ukraine working with humanitarian teams. His pencil sketches, drawn on the ground in and around Odesa, include portraits of civilians and scenes from the trenches. Also in attendance was singer-songwriter Rufus Wainwright, who performed ‘Hallelujah’ on piano for the King and also contributed a piece to the exhibition. The King’s own contribution, a pencil sketch of the gardens at Highgrove, is also on show. Founded as a not-for-profit institution, the Royal Drawing School offers more than 350 in-person and online courses a year, including its flagship postgraduate drawing year programme. ‘The Power of Drawing’ runs from July 1–26 at the Royal Drawing School in Shoreditch, east London. A wider public programme of talks, masterclasses, and events continues into 2026.
- https://www.martincid.com/art/the-royal-drawing-school-x-christies-an-exhibition-celebrating-the-coronation-of-their-majesties-king-charles-iii-queen-camilla/ – To mark the Coronation of Their Majesties King Charles III & Queen Camilla, the Royal Drawing School has commissioned alumni artists of its flagship postgraduate-level programme, The Drawing Year, to create works that are personal reflections on this momentous occasion, to be exhibited at Christie’s, King Street. The exhibition offers a variety of perspectives, rich in observation, imagination, and storytelling. These commissioned works on paper are exhibited alongside a selection of over 50 drawings by fellow Drawing Year alumni that form part of His Majesty’s archive of drawings from the School. Upon graduation, one drawing is chosen from each student to be included in the archive as a record of their study. There are now over 500 drawings in the archive.
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The draft above was created using the information available at the time the story first
emerged. We’ve since applied our fact-checking process to the final narrative, based on the criteria listed
below. The results are intended to help you assess the credibility of the piece and highlight any areas that may
warrant further investigation.
Freshness check
Score:
10
Notes:
The narrative is fresh, with no evidence of prior publication or recycled content. The event is recent, and the article provides original coverage.
Quotes check
Score:
10
Notes:
The quotes from King Charles, Tracey Emin, and Douglas Farthing are unique to this report, with no prior online matches found. This suggests original or exclusive content.
Source reliability
Score:
8
Notes:
The narrative originates from The Irish News, a reputable UK news outlet. However, it is not as widely recognised as some other major UK newspapers, which slightly lowers the reliability score.
Plausability check
Score:
9
Notes:
The claims about the Royal Drawing School’s 25th anniversary reception are plausible and align with known events. The article includes specific details, such as the exhibition’s title, featured artists, and quotes from attendees, which support its credibility.
Overall assessment
Verdict (FAIL, OPEN, PASS): PASS
Confidence (LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH): HIGH
Summary:
The narrative is fresh, with no evidence of recycled content. The quotes are unique, and the source is reputable, though not as widely recognised as some other UK newspapers. The claims are plausible and supported by specific details, indicating a high level of confidence in the report’s accuracy.
