HM King Charles III has accepted a Patronage at his former school to mark the first anniversary of his Coronation.
King Charles has become Patron of the Gordonstoun Association, a role previously held by his father, Prince Philip, who also attended Gordonstoun. The association exists to strengthen links between the school and its former students and staff.
Although His Majesty has spoken positively about his time at Gordonstoun and made several personal visits since he left as a student in 1967, the Royal announcement represents His Majesty’s first official link with the school.
The then Prince of Wales was the first future British monarch to be educated at a school,
spending five years as a student at Gordonstoun.
The King has remained a supporter of Gordonstoun and last year he chose four pipers from the school to welcome him to St Giles’ Cathedral in Edinburgh for the Honours of Scotland ceremony as part of his Coronation celebrations. The Gordonstoun Pipe Band also regularly takes part in the annual Braemar Gathering, attended by His Majesty.
His Majesty joins HRH The Princess Royal, who holds the role of ‘Warden’ at Gordonstoun, as an official supporter of the school. Her Royal Highness’s most recent visit to Gordonstoun was to open ‘The Queen Elizabeth II Rooms.
Gordonstoun’s new classroom hub was inspired by a visit to The King’s Dumfries House estate in Ayrshire, and its naming for the Late Queen was granted by His Majesty.
Gordonstoun Principal Lisa Kerr said:
“We are honoured that His Majesty has accepted Patronage of the Gordonstoun Association. As our most prominent former student, His Majesty exemplifies so many of the qualities we seek to instil in our students, notably a lifelong commitment to service.
“That His Majesty has chosen a Patronage of our alumni body is a great honour both for the school and all members of the Gordonstoun Association. We look forward to His Majesty’s engagement and support with the Association and its members in the years to come.”
The King was a student at Gordonstoun between 1962 and 1967. He left the school as House Captain and Guardian (Head Boy) with five O-levels in English Language, English Literature, History, Latin and French and two A-levels in History and French which secured him a place to study archaeology and anthropology at Trinity College, Cambridge University.
Gordonstoun has a long history of educating members of the Royal family beginning with the late Prince Philip, who joined as Gordonstoun’s tenth student aged 13 in 1934. Such was the impact on him, the decision was later made to send his three sons to Gordonstoun. Princess Anne was not eligible as Gordonstoun was an all-boys school at the time, but she sent her children Peter Philips and Zara Tindall to Gordonstoun.
Heather Woodward, Chairwoman of the Gordonstoun Association, added:
“The aim of the Gordonstoun Association is to promote and strengthen pupils’ links with each other and the school.
“There is no person more suited than The King to highlight the unique experience of what it means to be a former student of Gordonstoun and I am therefore delighted that His Majesty has accepted Patronage of the Gordonstoun Association.
“Although it’s almost sixty years since His Majesty attended Gordonstoun, his duty to service is an example of how the ethos and values of the school teaches students to think about others rather than themselves.
“We are looking forward to engaging with The King on his views on how we can further the aims of the Association.”