Influencer Editorial Team
King Charles Becomes Patron of Gordonstoun Association
King Charles III has accepted the role of patron for the Gordonstoun Association, demonstrating his lasting affection for the Scottish school where he spent his formative years. Despite the struggles he faced during his time there, this patronage marks his first official connection with the Moray institution he attended from 1962 to 1967. The principal of Gordonstoun, Lisa Kerr, expressed that it was a “great honour” for the school to have the King as its patron.
King Charles’s father, the Duke of Edinburgh, decided that Charles should attend the same school that had shaped his own youth. However, Charles’s letters from that period reveal that he often felt miserable, isolated, and bullied. One letter poignantly describes his anguish: “It’s such hell here especially at night. I don’t get any sleep practically at all nowadays … The people in my dormitory are foul. Goodness they are horrid, I don’t know how anyone could be so foul. They throw slippers all night long or hit me with pillows or rush across the room and hit me as hard as they can, then beetle back again as fast as they can, waking up everyone else in the dormitory at the same time. It’s such a HOLE this place!”
Whether he actually referred to Gordonstoun as “Colditz in kilts,” as dramatized in the Netflix series “The Crown,” remains uncertain. Nevertheless, biographers report that he was teased about his ears, bullied on the playing fields, and often felt excluded by his peers. Despite these challenges, King Charles began to showcase his talents in drama, starring as Macbeth in a school production of Shakespeare’s play. In his final year, he was appointed Guardian, or head boy, and became known for making excellent hot chocolate for the new boarders. He graduated from Gordonstoun with five O-levels and two A-levels.
The rigorous routine at Gordonstoun, established by its German founder Kurt Hahn, emphasized outdoor activities. King Charles’s day would typically start at 7 a.m. with a warm shower followed by a cold one, and a short morning run. Hahn was an advocate of the health benefits of cold showers. King Charles developed a love for sailing, enjoyed hockey, disliked cricket, and broke his nose playing rugby. He also played the cello in the school orchestra, sang in the choir, and took up pottery. Following in his father’s footsteps, he joined the school’s HM Coastguards or Watchers.
Reflecting on his time at Gordonstoun in 1974, King Charles told the Observer, “I’m glad I went to Gordonstoun.” The following year, addressing the House of Lords, he said, “I am always astonished by the amount of rot talked about Gordonstoun and the careless use of ancient clichés used to describe it. It was only tough in the sense that it demanded more of you as an individual than most other schools did – mentally or physically. I am lucky in that I believe it taught me a great deal about myself and my own abilities and disabilities.”
Through his patronage of the Gordonstoun Association, King Charles III acknowledges the profound impact the school had on his development. Despite the difficulties he faced, his experiences at Gordonstoun helped shape him into the person he is today. The school’s emphasis on self-reliance, outdoor activities, and personal responsibility contributed significantly to his education. Now, as a patron, he reinforces his enduring connection to the institution that played a crucial role in his youth.
