Charles of Wales received almost all of hiseducation at schools, not from a palace tutor. Andthis unique style of education might well havecontributed to his becoming the first heirapparent to earn a university degree.
The queen deliberately strove to provide herson with an education equivalent to that of a sonof upper-class British parents and raised him tobe acquainted with friends of his age group.
Yet, for all the attempts to provide Charleswith a normal childhood, the heir to the Britishthrone never really escaped the royal-watchingBritish press. From the beginning, Charles' everymove was watched carefully. When his two nurseswheeled him through the gardens of BuckinghamPalace, a score of private detectives trailedbehind as the papparazzi struggled to get a shotof the baby prince.
When his sister, Princess Anne, was born,Charles' life became more regimented and lesspublic. He spent more time in the palace, living asheltered life. Everyday the Prince saw hismother, who insisted on bathing her two children.But after King George VI died in February 1952,Charles saw his mother less and less as she turnedher attentions to being Queen.
Yet, she continued to invest much thought intoher children's upbringing. At the age of five,Charles still seemed to young to go to school, sothe Queen hired a private tutor. In addition tolearning the staples of most children's earlyeducation, Charles studied children in historywith his tutor.
When Charles turned eight, the Queen decided totest out her theories of royal education and senthim to Hill House, a short drive from BuckinghamPalace. After two years at that school, QueenElizabeth decided to send her son to Cheam, a prepschool in Headley, a small village near Hampshire.Although Charles' schoolmates treated him like oneof them, even addressing him by his first name, itwas obvious that Charles was not one of them.
At the end of his first year at Cheam, thedistinction became more obvious. One day in thesummer of 1958, Charles was gathered with a few ofhis friends to watch his mother's broadcast at theCommonwealth Games held in Cardiff, Wales. Becauseshe was ill, the Queen sent her husband tointroduce a tape recorded message. At theconclusion, Queen Elizabeth announced that she wascreating her nine-year-old son Charles, Prince ofWales. Charles recalled in later life that he was"acutely embarrassed when it was announced."
But most of Charles' time at Cheam was spent inpursuits normal for a young boy. It was there thathe discovered a love of acting after he performedfor the first time in a synopsis of theShakespeare plays. Charles realized the dream ofevery actor when he stepped in for the boy who wasto play Duke of Gloucester, who later becomesRichard III. In a particularly appropriate scene,Charles delivered the line, "And soon may I ascendthe throne."
When the Prince graduated from Cheam at the ageof 13, it was time once more for his parents tofind an appropriate school. Elizabeth and Philipopted to send him to Philip's alma mater,Gordonstoun. The school aimed to provide youngboys with an education that went far beyondacademics, developing character as well as mindand body. Charles earned the lead role in aproduction of Shakespeare's Macbeth and twoyears in a row won the award for physical fitnesswhich his father had inspired. After spending ayear abroad in Australia (Charles was also thefirst member of the royal family to attend aschool in the Commonwealth), Charles was chosen"Guardian" of the school, a high honor for seniorboys.
After graduating from Gordonstoun, Charlesentered Cambridge University and broke royaltradition by choosing to live in Trinity Collegerather than in off-campus housing. He opted tostudy anthropology and archaelogy, switching in ayear to history. When the Prince was not engagedin royal duties or his studies, he found time toact and play polo, eventually getting Universitycolors, half-blue, for that sport. In 1970, thePrince earned a Bachelor of Arts in History.
After his college graduation, Charles enteredthe Royal Service and took his seat in the Houseof Lords, embarking on his career in what he hasjokingly called "the oldest profession in theworld."
As a member of the Royal Navy, Charles wascertified as a helicopter pilot in 1974. Two yearslater, he left active service in the Navy to takeup full time duties as the heir apparent.
His job as the future King of Great Britainincludes sponsorship of numerous charitableorganizations and visits to nations in the BritishCommonwealth.
Part of his job includes accepting invitationsto events such as Harvard's 350th anniversaryparty. Says Hall, "This is his job, after all. Hetakes it very seriously."
The government professor adds that Harvard'sinvitation to Charles represents a newinternational emphasis in the University. In 1936,Franklin D. Roosevelt '04, then internationalposition does reflect some of the changes in theUniversity itself."
Charles' roots to Cambridge, which spawnedHarvard more than three centuries ago may alsohave contributed to the University's in-Presidentof the United States, addressed the firstconvocation. Says Hall of the choice of the 350thkeynote speaker, "It's a sort of reflection ofHarvard's growing interest in the internationalworld. The choice to seek someone with anvitation. His official connection is as a graduateand official of Cambridge University as well aspresident of the International COuncil of UnitedWorld Colleges, but as MacCaffrey says, "To bequite honest, the connection is a somewhat tenuousone." Whatever his ties, Prince Charles seems tohave quite a following as the convocation--whichapproximately 20,000 people will attend--has beensold out for about a week.
As Hall says of Charles' relation to the entire350th: "It's a mixture of party and paegantry. Hecertainly adds to the pageantry. I don't know ifhe's anything of a party goer."
Some of the information in this story wastaken from Anthony Holden's biography of thePrince.