The Royal Family share rare pictures of 'keen artist' Queen Victoria’s first sketches as well as an impressive portrait of her daughters with a young Prince Edward VII

The Royal Family's official Instagram account have revealed Queen Victoria was a 'keen artist', and shared pictures of her first sketches. 

The royal, who was born in 1819 and reigned from 1837 to 1901, and began drawing lessons when she was eight years old.

And now the Queen's social media account has shared some of Queen Victoria's sketches from her early years, up until she began painting portraits of her nine children - including the then-future King Edward VII.

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The Royal Family's official Instagram account have revealed Queen Victoria was a 'keen artist', and shared pictures of her first sketches, including a portrait of her children Princess Alice and Princess Victoria, and her eldest son Prince Albert Edward (centre)

The royal, pictured, who was born in 1819 and reigned from 1837 to 1901, and began drawing lessons when she was eight years old

The Royal Family's Instagram shared a picture of a portrait Victoria painted of her children Princess Alice and Princess Victoria, and her eldest son Prince Albert Edward, writing: 'Did you know Queen Victoria was a keen artist?'This painting from 1845 is of two of her daughters, Princess Alice and Princess Victoria, The Princess Royal, and her eldest son Prince Albert Edward - the future King Edward VII.'

They added: 'For Children’s Art Week, we’re sharing sketches and paintings by Queen Victoria from her childhood and throughout her reign, and some ideas from @royalcollectiontrust to help you bring out your creative side.'

An incredibly preserved sketch of her on horseback is described as a drawing from 'one of Queen Victoria's first sketchbooks'

A picture shows a tree in Buckingham Palace gardens painted in 1847, while elsewhere her love of dogs showed, with a painting of her Dachshunds Waldina and Waldman in 1846

Elsewhere an incredibly preserved sketch of her on horseback is described as  a drawing from 'one of  Queen Victoria's first sketchbooks'. 

And proving Queen Elizabeth's love of animals goes as far back as Victoria, a sketch drawn by the young Princess in her teens shows her favourite King Charles Spaniel Dash, in 1833.

Meanwhile an expert watercolour of the grounds of Balmoral Castle can be seen, while Victoria even sketched her own Coronation in 1838. 

Another picture shows a tree in Buckingham Palace gardens painted in 1847, while elsewhere her love of dogs showed, with a painting of her Dachshunds  Waldina and Waldman in 1846.

Proving Queen Elizabeth's love of animals goes as far back as Victoria, a sketch drawn by the young Princess in her teens shows her favourite King Charles Spaniel Dash, in 1833

Meanwhile an expert watercolour of the grounds of Balmoral Castle can be seen

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Victoria even sketched her own Coronation in 1838

Queen Victoria began drawing lessons when she was just eight years old and sketches show some of her earliest work

Proving Queen Elizabeth's love of animals goes as far back as Victoria, a sketch drawn by the young Princess in her teens shows her favourite King Charles Spaniel Dash, in 1833

Victoria was born in 1819 to Prince Edward, Duke of Kent and Strathearn, the fourth son of King George III.

Both the Duke and the King died in 1820, and Victoria was raised under close supervision by her mother, Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld.

She inherited the throne at the age of 18, after her father's three elder brothers had all died, leaving no surviving legitimate children.

Victoria married her first cousin Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha in 1840 and they had nine children.

They married their offspring into royal and noble families across the continent, earning Victoria the nickname 'the grandmother of Europe'.

But after Albert's death in 1861, she retreated from public appearances and became known for wearing black and living in mourning.

However she remained popular throughout her reign and had Golden and Diamond Jubilees that saw huge public celebrations.

She was the longest-serving monarch in the UK at 63 years and seven months until Queen Elizabeth II broke the record in September 2015.

Queen Victoria died in January 1901 and was succeeded by her eldest son, Edward VII.

Queen Victoria even drew sketches of  characters she had seen at the ballet

Another painting sees Queen Victoria's view from her dressing rooma t Windsor Castle in 1847

The life and times of Queen Victoria

A new exhibition called Victoria: Woman and Crown and Victoria: A Royal Childhood began on Friday last week to coincide with the 200th anniversary of her birth

Victoria was born at Kensington Palace, London on May 24, 1819 and was the only daughter of Edward Duke of Kent. 

On the death of William IV she became queen at the tender age of 18, and was known as a prolific diarist, with a talent for drawing.

Victoria would later described her childhood as 'melancholy', due to her being raised in isolation and rarely meeting other people. 

The series of strict rules governing her behaviour were known as the Kensington System.

She was kept under constant surveillance and isolated from the company of other children at the instruction of her mother the Duchess of Kent and her father's former equerry John Conroy.

Her name was actually Alexandrina Victoria and her childhood nickname was Drina, but she ruled as Victoria, which she is said to have preferred. 

The young queen, who was unmarried at the time, lived with her mother, who had an apartment in Buckingham Palace.

But it wasn't long before Victoria became smitten with her potential suitor Prince Albert, who visited Windsor in October 1839. 

She married Prince Albert in 1840 and had nine children between 1840 and 1857.

But Victoria was not a doting mother and thought it was her duty to be 'severe' and she hated being pregnant

As well as being her beloved partner, Albert would play a key role as an adviser. 

But Prince Albert died in 1861 at the young age of 42, that deeply affected Victoria, who would then wear black for the rest of her reign.

When she died in 1901 at the age of 81 after a period of ill health, no proper plans were in place for her funeral. 

The complex arrangements – including transporting Victoria's body across the Solent from the Isle of Wight and a military procession through London – had to be organised from scratch in 10 days.