This week, a BBC interview with King Charles from 2017 was republished on TikTok, garnering nearly 500,000 viewers to relive the moment when the monarch was asked about Prince George, his grandson, starting school for the first time.
“Your grandson had his first day at school today, did you give him any advice?” In answer to a question from a broadcaster, the King joked, “Of course not! I don’t think at that age he would have taken it from me.”
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He went on, “I’ll be curious to know how he fared. “You don’t worry about going to school as much at that age as you do as you get a little older. Meeting new people and wondering are the only things on the agenda.”
When little Prince George saw Thomas’ Battersea school gates for the first time, he was described to King Charles as seeming nervous.
“Oh, poor old thing,” the devoted granddad replied. “The issue is always leaving things there and trying to move on when the parents leave. I guess in the end it’s beneficial for you. It develops character.”
Royal supporters chastised King Charles for appearing to be a “doting grandfather” and someone who “loves his family,” but a few other comments revealed more about the monarch’s scholastic background.
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He is really perceptive, in fact. Given that his school years were not ideal, he has a rational explanation for why he has not yet developed a fear of going to school. “It feels intimate,” one TikTok user observed.
Another person wrote, “Poor Charles had a terrible time at school,” and a third said, “This breaks my heart when you know how awful his time at school was.”
It is widely assumed that Charles struggled at Gordonstoun School, where it was “common knowledge” that his peers tormented him. In an interview with The Telegraph, former classmate Johnny Stonborough stated, “It might even give some solace to countless British children to know their King was bullied and survived.”
Prince Philip and Zara Tindall attended the famed “tough” coeducational boarding school in Moray, Scotland. During his teens, the then-Prince Charles frequently wrote home to describe his sorrow.
One said, “I get hit on the head a lot and I snore, so I don’t get much sleep in the house.” It’s just plain awful.”
Another said, “My dormmates are disgusting.” They are so disgusting, I can’t believe anyone could be so rude.”
They wake up the entire hostel at the same time by throwing slippers all night, hitting me with pillows, or racing across the room and striking me as hard as they can.
The monarch reflected on his stay at the institution in 1974, despite rumors that his adventures there cost more than £15,000 per year. “I consider myself fortunate because it gave me a lot of insight into my own capabilities and limitations. It helped me learn how to take initiative and accept challenges,” he explained.
