A SPELL DOWN UNDER

When Charles was 17, Prince Philip decided to send him to a school in Australia for two terms in a bid to toughen him up some more. Timbertop was the wilderness branch of the Geelong Church of England Grammar School in Melbourne and Charles was dispatched there with

David Checketts, Philip’s equerry.

Years later, on a visit to Australia, Charles spoke of how his time at the school had fostered a lifelong love of the country and “transformed me from a boy into a man”.

“Part of my education took place here in Australia,” he said. “Quite frankly, it was by far the best part. While I was here, I had the Pommie bits bashed off me.”

The rugged Australian countryside, worlds away from the frigid austerity and awfulness of Gordonstoun, was like heaven to the teenage prince.

He came across leeches, snakes, bull ants and funnel spiders; chopped wood; fed pigs; picked up litter and cleaned out fly traps, which he described as “revolting glass bowls seething with flies and very ancient meat”.

“But it was jolly good for the character,” Charles said. “I loved it and learnt a lot from it.”

Timbertop’s headmaster, Thomas Garnett, said Charles flourished at the school and became “an admirable leader”.

“He was a friendly, intelligent, natural boy with a good sense of humour.”

When he left, his fellow students sent him on his way with typical Aussie bonhomie. “Three cheers for Prince Charles,” they yelled. “A real Pommie bastard!”

After a summer at Balmoral it was back to Gordonstoun for his final year, and Charles was named head boy, thanks in part to the leadership capabilities he’d demonstrated Down Under.