Thursday, June 27, 2024

The words that declared a king – the full proclamation of King Charles III

 ”Whereas it has pleased almighty God to call to his mercy our late Sovereign lady Queen Elizabeth II of blessed and glorious memory, by whose decease the Crown of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is solely and rightfully come to the Prince Charles Philip Arthur George.


“We, therefore, the lords spiritual and temporal of this realm, and members of the House of Commons, together with other members of Her late Majesty’s Privy Council, and representatives of the realms and territories, aldermen, and citizens of London and others, do now hereby, with one voice and consent of tongue and heart, publish and proclaim that the Prince Charles Philip Arthur George, is now, by the death of our late Sovereign of happy memory, become our only lawful and rightful liege lord, Charles III, by the grace of God, of the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland, and of his other realms and territories, King, head of the Commonwealth, defender of the faith, to whom we do acknowledge all faith and obedience with humble affection, beseeching God, by whom kings and queens do reign, to bless His Majesty with long and happy years to reign over us.”


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They are words that link us to the past and leave a mark for the future. Just after 11 o’clock on the morning of September 10th 2022, at Friary Court at St. James’s Palace in London, the proclamation of His Majesty King Charles III was made. It followed an historic meeting of the Accession Council.


This proclamation was very modern – for the first time, it was televised, ensuring that everyone in his new kingdom had a chance to see Charles declared their Monarch, if they chose. But it followed an ancient pattern, often with ancient language that had been used in centuries past to proclaim those who held the throne before King Charles.


It links him forever to all those whose realm he now rules. The proclamation, read by the Garter King at Arms, was striking and historic.


Watch YouTube here 


King Charles III graduated from University of Cambridge, and he is a University of Cambridge alumni. 


Where did King Charles III go to school? His Majesty’s education explained.


King Charles – then Prince Charles – in his room at university Trinity College Cambridge

The King as a young university student (Picture)

King Charles III is, believe it or not, the first monarch in our history to be educated in a school.


His Majesty, 73, is also the first ever King or Queen of the United Kingdom to hold a university degree.


Yep, the late Queen didn’t attend an actual school, but was instead educated at home by a range of tutors – normal for a daughter from a royal or wealthy family during that period of time.


So, where did The King study? And where did he go to university?


Here’s all you need to know.


Where did King Charles go to school?

Young King Charles at Hill House School, Hampshire

Then-Prince Charles, escorted by headmaster of Hill House School in Knightsbridge (Picture)

While The Queen didn’t go to school, Her Majesty’s son attended several as a youngster.


King Charles III began his education beyond the home at Hill House School in Knightsbridge, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London, when he was aged six.


Hill House was a boys-only, pre-preparatory school, founded by British Army officer Lieutenant Colonel Stuart Townend in 1951.


When the young Prince Charles attended the school from 1956, Townend – who was reportedly only known as ‘The Colonel’ – was its headmaster as well as founder.


He was said to operate with the motto: ‘A child’s mind is not a vessel to be filled but a fire to be kindled.’


Young King Charles playing cricket at Hill House School

A young Charles playing cricket at the Hill House School Field Day (Photo)

The King only attend the school for nine months, from November 1956 until summer 1957.


In a 2002 obituary for Townend by The Independent, a school report from the time was quoted as calling His Majesty ‘determined but slow, with above-average intelligence’.


Townend reportedly called him ‘full of go, full of physical courage… a damned good lad’.


In September 1957, The King was moved to Cheam Preparatory School in Headley, Hampshire – the oldest prep school in the country, which first opened its doors in 1645.


His father, Prince Philip, The Duke of Edinburgh, had previously been a pupil there.


Young King Charles in his uniform for Cheam Prep School

The now King as a child, wearing his Cheam School uniform (Picture)

The King remained a pupil at Cheam until 1962, when he was moved to Scotland boarding school Gordonstoun.


Prince Philip was also a student at Gordonstoun, which is still open and located in the town of Elgin, Moray in the Scottish Highlands.


The Duke joined in 1934, arriving in its founding year, and was one of German founder Kurt Hahn’s star pupils – despite a school report saying he was ‘often naughty but never nasty’.


By all accounts, Philip thrived under the school’s‘unique educational ethos’ – which placed a focus on practical and life skills, rather than just learning from books.


His Majesty The King joined in May 1962, when he was 13, and remained there for five years.


Young King Charles arriving at Gordonstoun boarding school in Scotland with dad Prince Philip.

UNITED KINGDOM – OCTOBER 18:The Duke of Edinburgh walks with his son and Captain Iain Tennant in front of Gordonstoun, Prince Charles� exclusive public school. Heir to the throne Prince Charles (born 1948) went on to take History at Cambridge.

At Gordonstoun, he studied a range of subjects – but was also very involved in extracurricular activities.


Charles played the cello and trumpet, sang in the choir, joined the debate club, and played Macbeth in a school play, acting in various drama shows throughout his stay.


The King also took up sailing, Highlands walking expeditions and pottery at the school, the BBC writes. The King was Head Boy in his final year at Gordonstoun, too.


It’s long been suggested that The King didn’t enjoy his time at Gordonstoun. The school was even a focal point in an episode of fictional Netflix drama The Crown.


There’s also been claims that the then Prince of Wales was bullied.


King Charles III's old school Gordonstoun

Gordonstoun, pictured in the 1960s when King Charles attended.

Former Gordonstoun student Johnny Stonborough told Good Morning Britain in September 2022: ‘It was quite harsh. He was badly bullied and very isolated.


‘On the rugby pitch you would see it. There were a couple of people who said they would ‘do Prince Charles’ and they would beat him up in the scrum, pull his ears and thump him.’


However, in 1974, Charles addressed his time at the school, saying: ‘I didn’t enjoy school as much as I might have, but that was only because I’m happier at home than anywhere else.


‘But Gordonstoun developed my willpower and self control, helped me to discipline myself…


‘We ran our own fire brigade, we had our own sea rescue service, mountain rescue, surf life saving, coastguard, etc. It was adventure. And we were damn good.’


Young King Charles when he was Prince of Wales, with his mother Queen Elizabeth II

The Queen with Charles in his final year to Gordonstoun (Photo)

He also shared in a 1975 speech: ‘I am always astonished by the amount of rot talked about Gordonstoun and the careless use of ancient clichés used to describe it.


‘It was only tough in the sense that it demanded more of you as an individual than most other schools did – mentally or physically.’


The King graduated with five O-Levels in English Literature, English Language, French, Latin and History, along with two French and History A-Levels, earning him a place at university.


Where did King Charles go to university?

The King went to Trinity College, part of the University of Cambridge, from 1967 to 1970.


His Majesty is the first reigning monarch to hold a university degree.


King Charles on his first day at Trinity College Cambridge


(Footage of the future King arriving at Trinity College, chauffeured in a mini Cooper car, to begin his studies at Cambridge University in October 1967. Click here to watch the black & white video)


Prince Charles pictured wearing academic robes out as he begins his first term at Cambridge University, outside Trinity College in Cambridge, October 9th 1967. 

Prince Charles practices his cello playing in his rooms at Trinity College Cambridge, whilst an undergraduate there. @ Location: Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, England, UK.

Initially, he majored in Archaeology and Anthropology, but also read History.


During his second undergraduate year, Charles spent a term as the University College of Wales, in Aberystwyth, in order to study the Welsh language and Wales’ history – as Prince of Wales at the time.


Charles also undertook extracurriculars at Cambridge, such as playing polo against Oxford, playing cello in the orchestra, and attending an archaeological dig in Jersey, among other activities.


His Majesty graduated in 1970 with a 2:2 degree.


A few years later, in 1975, The King was awarded a Master of Arts by Cambridge – not a postgraduate qualification but rather an academic rank.


The University of Cambridge congratulates His Majesty King Charles III on the occasion of his Coronation.

Here we look at and celebrate the King's longstanding relationship with the University, beginning with his time as a student here in the 1960s and continuing up to the present day.


[Photo : Prince Charles reads a play with friends sitting on the floor of a College room ]


"The University and Colleges are immensely proud of Cambridge’s longstanding links to the Royal Family – and to His Majesty King Charles III in particular.


Not only was he a student here, but he has since remained a steadfast supporter of the University’s work, especially in the field of sustainability.


His Coronation is a moment of great national and international significance, and a day of celebration in Cambridge"

— Dr Anthony Freeling, Acting Vice-Chancellor. In office as Acting Vice-Chancellor from 1st October 2022 – 30th June 2023, he was the first acting vice-chancellor in the history of the University of Cambridge. ( More details here)

[Professor Deborah Prentice became the University of Cambridge’s 347th Vice-Chancellor on 1 July 2023. More details here ]

Scroll down through our timeline to explore some of the King's memorable visits and connections with Cambridge.

●1967

The future King Charles broke with tradition when he opted to attend university after his A-Levels instead of joining the military.


In October 1967 he was admitted to Trinity College where he read Archaeology & Anthropology and then History.


This photo, affectionately known as a 'matriculation mugshot', was taken in the Wren Library and is a rite of passage for students marking the start of their studies.

●1969

During his studies the Prince of Wales undertook an official visit to the Department of Engineering, meeting with staff members working in the laboratory.


On a previous Royal Visit one of those same staff members, Mr Baker, Deputy Superintendent of the Workshop, had presented to HRH Prince Philip, The Duke of Edinburgh (a future Chancellor of the University), a wooden toy helicopter made in the workshop for the then-three-year-old Prince Charles.

●1970

The future King became the first British heir apparent to earn a university degree, graduating Bachelor of Arts in June.


As per tradition, in 1975 this was promoted to a Master of Arts degree.

●1980s

The Prince of Wales became a Founder Trustee of The Cambridge Trust.


The Trust was established in the 1980s with the specific objective of providing scholarships to students from around the world who lacked the means to fund their studies at Cambridge.

●1994

As Royal Founding Patron of the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL), Prince Charles initiated The Prince of Wales's Business & Sustainability Programme.


Ahead of its time when it launched, the programme continues to equip senior leaders to engage with social and environmental issues and runs annually in Cambridge, South Africa, Australia and Singapore.

1997

In January, Prince Charles met staff and students at the opening of the new Centre for Advanced Religious and Theological Studies.

During the visit, he looked at photos and artefacts that researchers had collected and displayed in the centre as part of their research projects.

●2008

The Prince of Wales visited the University Library to open the Commonwealth Reading Room.

The future King viewed a display of materials from the Royal Commonwealth Society's collections and cleaned one of the books that had suffered damage from smoke during the Blitz (before it was acquired by the Library).

2008

The Prince of Wales visited the University Library to open the Commonwealth Reading Room.

The future King viewed a display of materials from the Royal Commonwealth Society's collections and cleaned one of the books that had suffered damage from smoke during the Blitz (before it was acquired by the Library).

●2022

In March, the future King opened The Entopia Building, an ultra-low carbon sustainable HQ for the CISL.

He also met with seven students who were recipients of the 'HRH Prince of Wales Commonwealth Scholarship'. The scholarship, offered by the Cambridge Trust, supported applicants from Commonwealth nations whose studies focused on themes such as climate change, the blue economy and sustainability.

His visit concluded at the Whittle Laboratory, a world-famous turbomachinery laboratory, to learn about work to achieve net-zero aviation.

2023: The University is proud to be involved in

His Majesty's Coronation

• The Gospels of Augustine of Canterbury, the oldest surviving illustrated Latin Gospels in the world, will play a key role in the service. The manuscript has been held in the Parker Library at Corpus Christi College for the last 450 years. When the future King visited in 2001, he recognised their importance and during planning of the Coronation, His Majesty requested the Gospels be part of it.

• His Majesty will be crowned by Cambridge graduate and Honorary Fellow of Trinity, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby. The Dean of Westminster, Dr David Hoyle, is also a Cambridge graduate (Corpus Christi College) and Honorary Fellow of Magdalene College.

• Professor David Fergusson, Regius Professor of Divinity at Cambridge and a Fellow of Magdalene College, will be present in his role as Dean of the Chapel Royal in Scotland.

• David Salmon, of Wolfson College, a 2023 Rhodes Scholar currently studying for his MPhil in Development Studies, will carry his national flag of Jamaica.

• Nigel Hess, of St Catharine’s College, has composed music for the Coronation, as has Tarik O'Regan, of Trinity and Corpus Christi Colleges.

• The Master of the King's Music is Judith Weir, a Cambridge graduate and Honorary Fellow of King’s College and Trinity College.

Prince Charles rehearsing for a play with his friends at University.

Charles, Prince of Wales relaxing in his study at Cambridge University

Prince Charles cycles past King's College Cambridge

Prince Charles visits the Department of Engineering

Prince Charles at Trinity College, Cambridge,

Prince Charles studying in his rooms at Cambridge University in 1967



King Charles III

at Cambridge

Footage of the future King arriving at Trinity College to begin his studies at Cambridge University in October 1967.

The University of Cambridge congratulates His Majesty King Charles III on the occasion of his Coronation.

Here we look at and celebrate the King's longstanding relationship with the University, beginning with his time as a student here in the 1960s and continuing up to the present day.

Prince Charles reads a play with his friends sitting on the floor of a College room

Prince Charles reads a play with friends sitting on the floor of a College room

"The University and Colleges are immensely proud of Cambridge’s longstanding links to the Royal Family – and to His Majesty King Charles III in particular.

Not only was he a student here, but he has since remained a steadfast supporter of the University’s work, especially in the field of sustainability.

His Coronation is a moment of great national and international significance, and a day of celebration in Cambridge"
Dr Anthony Freeling, Acting Vice-Chancellor

Scroll down through our timeline to explore some of the King's memorable visits and connections with Cambridge.

1967

The future King Charles broke with tradition when he opted to attend university after his A-Levels instead of joining the military.

In October 1967 he was admitted to Trinity College where he read Archaeology & Anthropology and then History.

This photo, affectionately known as a 'matriculation mugshot', was taken in the Wren Library and is a rite of passage for students marking the start of their studies.

1969

During his studies the Prince of Wales undertook an official visit to the Department of Engineering, meeting with staff members working in the laboratory.

On a previous Royal Visit one of those same staff members, Mr Baker, Deputy Superintendent of the Workshop, had presented to HRH Prince Philip, The Duke of Edinburgh (a future Chancellor of the University), a wooden toy helicopter made in the workshop for the then-three-year-old Prince Charles.

1970

The future King became the first British heir apparent to earn a university degree, graduating Bachelor of Arts in June.

As per tradition, in 1975 this was promoted to a Master of Arts degree.

1980s

The Prince of Wales became a Founder Trustee of The Cambridge Trust.

The Trust was established in the 1980s with the specific objective of providing scholarships to students from around the world who lacked the means to fund their studies at Cambridge.

1994

As Royal Founding Patron of the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL), Prince Charles initiated The Prince of Wales's Business & Sustainability Programme.

Ahead of its time when it launched, the programme continues to equip senior leaders to engage with social and environmental issues and runs annually in Cambridge, South Africa, Australia and Singapore.

1997

In January, Prince Charles met staff and students at the opening of the new Centre for Advanced Religious and Theological Studies.

During the visit, he looked at photos and artefacts that researchers had collected and displayed in the centre as part of their research projects.

2008

The Prince of Wales visited the University Library to open the Commonwealth Reading Room.

The future King viewed a display of materials from the Royal Commonwealth Society's collections and cleaned one of the books that had suffered damage from smoke during the Blitz (before it was acquired by the Library).

2016

The Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall undertook a visit to pay tribute to three of the University's great institutions.

Their Royal Highnesses visited the Fitzwilliam Museum to celebrate its bicentenary and the University Library to mark its 600th anniversary.

They also attended King's College Chapel to listen to rehearsals, gaining an exclusive preview of the famous Nine Lessons and Carols service to be broadcast around the world that Christmas.

2022

In March, the future King opened The Entopia Building, an ultra-low carbon sustainable HQ for the CISL.

He also met with seven students who were recipients of the 'HRH Prince of Wales Commonwealth Scholarship'. The scholarship, offered by the Cambridge Trust, supported applicants from Commonwealth nations whose studies focused on themes such as climate change, the blue economy and sustainability.

His visit concluded at the Whittle Laboratory, a world-famous turbomachinery laboratory, to learn about work to achieve net-zero aviation.

2023: The University is proud to be involved in
His Majesty's Coronation

 The Gospels of Augustine of Canterbury, the oldest surviving illustrated Latin Gospels in the world, will play a key role in the service. The manuscript has been held in the Parker Library at Corpus Christi College for the last 450 years. When the future King visited in 2001, he recognised their importance and during planning of the Coronation, His Majesty requested the Gospels be part of it.

 His Majesty will be crowned by Cambridge graduate and Honorary Fellow of Trinity, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby. The Dean of Westminster, Dr David Hoyle, is also a Cambridge graduate (Corpus Christi College) and Honorary Fellow of Magdalene College.

 Professor David Fergusson, Regius Professor of Divinity at Cambridge and a Fellow of Magdalene College, will be present in his role as Dean of the Chapel Royal in Scotland.

 David Salmon, of Wolfson College, a 2023 Rhodes Scholar currently studying for his MPhil in Development Studies, will carry his national flag of Jamaica.

 Nigel Hess, of St Catharine’s College, has composed music for the Coronation, as has Tarik O'Regan, of Trinity and Corpus Christi Colleges.

 The Master of the King's Music is Judith Weir, a Cambridge graduate and Honorary Fellow of King’s College and Trinity College.

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