London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Aug 01, 2025

0:00
0:00

"Just One Of the Boys In School:" Years That Shaped Prince Charles

Prince Charles began attending the picturesque private school Gordonstoun on the north coast of Scotland, where his late father Prince Philip also studied.

British heir to the throne Prince Charles was "just one of the boys" when he was a pupil at a remote boarding school in Scotland, going about his day-to-day life and developing a later passion for the arts and environment.

Prince Charles was 13 when, in May 1962, he began attending the picturesque private school Gordonstoun on the north coast of Scotland, where his late father Prince Philip also studied.

"For everybody at Gordonstoun, it's a huge sense of pride to have been the first school to educate an heir to the British throne," current Gordonstoun principal Lisa Kerr told Reuters. "What's more powerful for us is knowing that many of the attributes which Prince Charles takes forward as monarch were developed here at Gordonstoun."

Earlier generations of British royal children had been educated by tutors at home.

prince Charles found aspects of school life hard, something that was highlighted in a recent series of the Netflix hit drama "The Crown". Pupils had to go for an early morning run followed by a cold shower, and some fellow pupils recall how he was bullied.

According to biographies, he wrote home in 1963 saying: "The people in my dormitory are foul. They throw slippers all night long or hit me with pillows ... I wish I could come home."

Asked if Prince Charles had been happy, Kerr said: "I suppose everyone's school days have their ups and downs, and it's probably no surprise that the downs are more interesting from a media perspective.

"But interestingly, Prince Charles himself has said that he's always astonished at the amount of rot talked about Gordonstoun ... in many speeches, he's talked about the really positive impact that his time here had on his life."

Describing him as a "studious young man" who went on to study at Cambridge University, Kerr said Prince Charles, who has visited the school since leaving in 1967, would have mixed with people from a whole range of backgrounds.

She said he had enjoyed music and drama, taking part in a number of school productions.

PIRATE KING


At the time, Gordonstoun was a boys' school and girls from a nearby high school joined their casts. One of those involved recalls the thrill of being on stage with the future king.

"Just to be involved in the Gordonstoun production was always exciting...And then when we discovered that Prince Charles was going to be involved too ... it did make it more exciting," said retired PE teacher Alison Shockley, 71.

"We were quite used to him being up here. He was seen in shops. He was involved in other things in the community ... We knew he was very musical."

Ms Stockley acted alongside Charles in shows including "The Pirates of Penzance", in which Prince Charles played the Pirate King.

"He carried it off very well," she said. "(He was) just one of the boys ... He just joined in as we all did."

Since its foundation in 1934 by German educator Kurt Hahn, Gordonstoun students have got involved with the local community and Charles was a member of the coastguard, where he kept watch along the beautiful Moray coast.

Decades later, 18-year-old student Olivia Dixon is doing the same. She also boards in the same Windmill Lodge room where Charles once lived.

"It (is) quite funny that this used to be his room, this used to be his dresser that we have a 'party' sign on top of it so it's quite surreal in a way," she said.

Nor is Prince Charles the only famous alumnus from the school. Both late actor Sean Connery and singer David Bowie sent their sons to Gordonstoun.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Trump Administration Finalizes Broad Tariff Increases on Global Trade Partners
J.K. Rowling Limits Public Engagements Citing Safety Fears
JD.com Launches €2.2 Billion Bid for German Electronics Retailer Ceconomy
Azerbaijan Proceeds with Plan to Legalise Casinos on Artificial Islands
Former Judge Charged After Drunk Driving Crash Kills Comedian in Brazil
Jeff Bezos hasn’t paid a dollar in taxes for decades. He makes billions and pays $0 in taxes, LEGALLY
China Increases Use of Exit Bans Amid Rising U.S. Tensions
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Procter & Gamble to Raise U.S. Prices to Offset One‑Billion‑Dollar Tariff Cost
House Republicans Move to Defund OECD Over Global Tax Dispute
Botswana Seeks Controlling Stake in De Beers as Anglo American Prepares Exit
Trump Administration Proposes Repeal of Obama‑Era Endangerment Finding, Dismantling Regulatory Basis for CO₂ Emissions Limits
France Opens Criminal Investigation into X Over Algorithm Manipulation Allegations
A family has been arrested in the UK for displaying the British flag
Mel Gibson refuses to work with Robert De Niro, saying, "Keep that woke clown away from me."
Trump Steamrolls EU in Landmark Trade Win: US–EU Trade Deal Imposes 15% Tariff on European Imports
ChatGPT CEO Sam Altman says people share personal info with ChatGPT but don’t know chats can be used as court evidence in legal cases.
The British propaganda channel BBC News lies again.
Deputy attorney general's second day of meeting with Ghislaine Maxwell has concluded
Controversial March in Switzerland Features Men Dressed in Nazi Uniforms
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
Thai Civilian Death Toll Rises to 12 in Cambodian Cross-Border Attacks
TSUNAMI: Trump Just Crossed the Rubicon—And There’s No Turning Back
Over 120 Criminal Cases Dismissed in Boston Amid Public Defender Shortage
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
Trump Announces $550 Billion Japanese Investment and New Trade Agreements with Indonesia and the Philippines
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
×