I happened across a Wikipedia article on Prince Charles where one of the entries stated that he was bullied while attending prep school at Gordonstoun. Now with no cite in the article, I can’t vouch for any accuracy of that assertion.
However, even if it was a rumor it surprises the hell out of me. Chuck was already the heir to the throne when he was at school. Wouldn’t there be some unwritten rule that you don’t beat on the queen’s heir?
Are the heirs to the throne effectively treated as ‘regular’ kids when at school or are they afforded any additional privilege? Couldn’t Chuck have sent his bulliers to the Tower of London or the Outer Hebrides?
Looking at some of the sources, it seems Prince Phillip wanted his son toughened up by Gordonstoun. If the bullying happened, unless it involved actual physical harm the Royal Family may well have cast a blind eye.
For the record – Charles apparently hated the place.
Yeah, Charles was bullied. I could come up with the cite but I have sooo many books on the House of Windsor it would take me a while to find. How badly do you want it?
Specifically, when he was playing rugby the other boys would use the opportunity to do as much damage to the heir to the throne as they could.
Charles didn’t really receive special treatment at school. He had a detective, of course. He still had to do the runs and take the cold showers like the other boys. About the only protection his parents offered him was trying to make it clear to the press he was off limits. His school days were pretty scandal free. Worst scandal that ever made the press was when he went into town and ordered an alcoholic drink even though he was underage.
You’ve got to consider that this was a boy who was used to being treated as special and, suddenly, at school he wasn’t – not in a positive way. His sister, Anne, on the other hand loved being ordinary when she was at school and thrived on it.
According to biographies that I have read, both Edward VIII and George VI (Charles’ great-uncle and grandfather respectively) were bullied during their time at the Dartmouth naval college. As **Ice Wolf ** noted, it’s probably seen traditionally as part of the “becoming a man” process.
Gordonstoun was clearly unsuitable for him, but he wouldn’t have been the first child whose father sent him to his old school for his own happiness rather than his son’s.