Prince Philip’s determination to give his eldest son a sense of home during his school years in Scotland has come to light through.
When 13-year-old Prince Charles enrolled at Gordonstoun in Moray in 1962, he was embarking on a new chapter far from Buckingham Palace.
Keen to make his son’s surroundings feel more familiar, he is said to have arranged an unusual gift for the school chapel.
According to author William Cash, the late Duke of Edinburgh ordered a remarkable 12th-century Norman font from the now-closed St Michael’s Church in Upton Cressett, Shropshire, to be transported hundreds of miles to Gordonstoun.
Philip reportedly believed the ancient stone carving would ensure Charles was surrounded by “objects of English beauty” while living away from home.
The medieval font, decorated with intricate carvings and dating back centuries, remained in the school chapel throughout Charles’s time at Gordonstoun before eventually being returned to its original church in the 1970s.
Recalling the little known episode, Cash explained that Philip felt the historic artefact deserved to be admired rather than left in storage.
Even today, visitors to St Michael’s Church are said to be astonished when they learn the centuries-old font once made the lengthy journey to Scotland for the future King.
Following in his father’s footsteps, he arrived at the renowned boarding school in May 1962, with Philip personally accompanying him to meet headmaster Robert Chew on his first day.
Although reports later suggested Charles struggled to settle in and endured bullying because of his royal status, the King consistently defended his former school.
