Image source, Martin Giles/BBC
Stuart Agnew participated in the exact same classes as King Charles III when he was at Gordonstoun boarding school in Elgin on the Scottish coast
A previous schoolmate of King Charles III has said the queen’s school life “should have been hell” as numerous students did not wish to be seen speaking to him.
Stuart Agnew, a retired Norfolk farmer and previous MEP, said: “I didn’t wish to be seen groveling Prince Charles.”
They both went to the personal boarding school Gordonstoun in the 1960s and studied history A-level together.
Charles was the very first Prince of Wales to be informed at a school, instead of at home by personal tutors.
Image source, Gordonstoun
King Charles on his arrival at Gordonstoun in 1962, visualized with his dad the Duke of Edinburgh
Mr Agnew said that when he was sent to the school, which remains in Elgin in Moray, it was fairly unidentified, although King Charles’ dad the Duke of Edinburgh had actually existed.
“Soon after, they revealed Charles was going there and unexpectedly everybody had actually found out about it,” he said.
The set had commonalities – his family farmed in Norfolk while the royals had Sandringham.
Image source, Martin Giles/BBC
Stuart Agnew lives near to the royal estate of Sandringham, in Norfolk, and represented the area as a UKIP MEP
The popular understanding, boosted by the Netflix drama The Crown, is that the King did not enjoy his time at Gordonstoun, although he has actually has actually said this is a misunderstanding.
Mr Agnew said the King was dealt with in a different way in some aspects.
“He and I were 2 of 8 individuals doing history A-Level and in some cases would be the very first 2 to get here in the class and he would start to ask me about farming and shooting… and I would start to speak with him about these things,” he said.
“If anybody else entered into the room, I instantly stopped speaking to him and moved away, as I didn’t wish to be seen groveling Prince Charles.
“Everyone resembled that; they didn’t wish to be seen doing that.
“Imagine what that resembled for him.
“As the years passed I believed I would dislike to be in his shoes, since of the big expectation that was upon him, because he needed to succeed academically.
“He needed to remain in the choir and maybe sing a solo, he needed to master a musical instrument, he needed to take the lead part in a Shakespeare play, he needed to get the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award gold.
Image source, Gordonstoun
King Charles III playing Macbeth in his younger days. Current charges at Gordonstoun are £14,550 per term for Years 9 to 12
“He wasn’t especially stylish, however he did truly attempt and I simply felt truly sorry for him – that a lot expectation might be placed on someone like that at that age,” said Mr Agnew.
“It should have been hell. It wasn’t his option – he was born into it and he needed to go where he was informed.
“I believe he’ll make a good king; he comprehends what needs to be done; I want him the very best of luck.”
Image source, Gordonstoun
Queen Elizabeth II going to Gordonstoun in July 1967 – her oldest kid’s last year at the school
