Most of us use our right hand while writing, but we all know at least one person who is left-handed. While writing with the right hand is more common, there’s about 10 to 12 per cent of people in the world who use their left hands including some popular faces and names like Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, Oprah Winfrey and Leonardo da Vinci.
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And not just these famous names, reportedly, some of the British Royal Family’s members are also left-handed, including our future kings as well. Let’s find out who in the British Royalty is left-handed.
British Royal Family members who are left-handed
Royal Family fans often take interest in the smallest things about them - from what colours they wear at different Royal engagements to what facial expressions they make and their potential meanings. The list also includes which of their favourite Royals are left-handed. Let’s take a look at them here.
Prince William
It’s no secret our future King uses his left hand while writing. He has been seen on a number of occasions signing guest books and documents with his left hand. According to Hello! Magazine, he even joked about being a leftie and stated that ‘left-handers have better brains’ than right-handers.
Prince George
Like father, like son! Not just one but two of the future kings are lefties. However, he may be ambidextrous. While it has been widely reported that Prince George - who may join Oundle School soon - is left-handed, he is often spotted using his right hand as well. For instance, in June 2019, he was pictured swinging a mallet with his right hand.
King George VI and Queen Mother
Queen Elizabeth II’s father was also left-handed - could Prince William have inherited it from his great-grandfather? King George VI was also ambidextrous as he often wrote with his right hand but mostly played tennis with his left hand. Like him, the Queen Mother - his wife - is also understood to be left-handed.
Queen Victoria
King George’s great-grandmother, Queen Victoria, was also a leftie. Rumour has it, she may have been forced to use her right hand while writing as it was the more common practice at that time. However, she always painted with her left hand.
Sophie, The Duchess of Edinburgh
Another famous Royal who is left handed is Sophie Wessex. The Royal who became the first one to talk about menopause is often seen writing with her left hand.
What does being left-handed say about you?
According to Harvard Health Publishing, it’s unclear why some people favour their left side more than the right but it could stem from a mix of genes and environmental factors. Every leftie has at least one left-handed relative hinting that being a leftie may also come with genes.
Moreover, research has suggested that left-handers have unique qualities over their right-handed counterparts. For example, lefties are considered to be more creative and more athletic and to have better memories. Left-handed people are also thought to be better at leadership roles, reports Reader’s Digest. This comes as lefties are considered to be right-brained people, meaning they are more creative, analytical, verbal, and have better language skills - all of which are prerequisites of being a good leader.
It is also believed that lefties have shorter life spans than righties. Yikes! The idea comes partly from observational studies that found left-handed people have higher rates of colon cancer and cardiovascular disease than righties.
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Sources Used
Hello! Magazine: Royals who are left-handed: from Prince William to Prince George
Harvard Health Publishing: You don't say? Is there anything right about being left-handed?
Reader's Digest: 15 Things You Never Knew About Left-Handed People
