Politics
Prince Philip was ‘often naughty, but never nasty’, glowing school report reveals
PRINCE Philip was a “naughty, but never nasty” pupil, a glowing school report revealed yesterday.
The youngster was 13 when he was packed off to Gordonstoun boarding school in Elgin, Moray, after he mocked the Nazi regime while at another school in Germany in the 1930s.
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Prince Philip was a ‘naughty, but never nasty’, a glowing school report revealed[/caption]
The report, shared by Gordonstoun yesterday, was written by headmaster Kurt Hahn for the Duke’s marriage to the Queen in 1947.
It reveals that the young prince was sent to Gordonstoun after it was noticed that “whenever the Nazi salute was given, he roared with laughter and attracted universal attention”.
Philip is said to have found the salute funny because in his younger school years, the same gesture had been used by pupils to signal they wanted to use the toilet.
The report adds: “After he had been admonished to caution, he continued to be doubled up in uncontrollable mirth.
“He no longer roared, but nevertheless attracted universal attention.
Teenage Prince Philip in a school play in 1935[/caption]
“We thought it better for him and also for us if he returned to England right away,” said his sister who brought him to Gordonstoun.”
The school, which charges fees of £40,000 a year, has educated three generations of the Royal Family, including Prince Charles — who clearly had a less enjoyable time than his father, later branding it “Colditz with kilts”.
Describing his star pupil Philip, Dr Hahn wrote: “He had grown impatient of what for short may be called Royalty nonsense.
“After matches and theatrical performances people often asked him for an autograph. He found this ridiculous and on one occasion signed himself The Earl of Baldwin, to the bewilderment of the autograph hunter.”
Philip found things easy, which could lead to displays of “intolerance and impatience”, Dr Hahn said.
Headmaster Dr Hahn wrote Philip ‘had grown impatient of what for short may be called Royalty nonsense’[/caption]
Dr Hahn said Prince Philip was ‘never content with mediocre results’ at school[/caption]
Prince Philip passed away at Windsor Castle on Friday aged 99 – sparking an outpouring of grief[/caption]
He wrote: “When he was in the middle-school he got into a fair number of scrapes through recklessness and wildness. He was often naughty, never nasty.”
He also showed “an ease and forthrightness in dealing with all kinds”, the report revealed.
And when he came to Gordonstoun “his marked trait was his undefeatable spirit, he felt deeply both joy and sadness, and the way he looked and the way he moved indicated what he felt”.
Dr Hahn said Philip had “meticulous attention to detail” and was “never content with mediocre results”.
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And he wrote: “He was in the habit of cycling regardless of safety rules, and on one occasion he avoided a clash with a baby in a perambulator by inches, thanks to his unusual agility: He appeased the mother by an apology which was irresistible.”
Philip was at Gordonstoun until 1939, when he left for the Royal Naval College at Dartmouth.
In later years he regularly visited the school, most recently for a private visit in 2014 to mark its 80th anniversary.
