Norfolk farmer: 'I didn't want to be seen sucking up to Prince Charles'

Stuart Agnew attended the same classes as King Charles III when he was at Gordonstoun boarding school in Elgin on the Scottish coast

A former classmate of King Charles III has said the monarch's school life "must have been hell" as many pupils did not want to be seen talking to him.

Stuart Agnew, a retired Norfolk farmer and former MEP, said: "I didn't want to be seen sucking up to Prince Charles."

They both went to the private boarding school Gordonstoun in the 1960s and studied history A-level together.

Charles was the first Prince of Wales to be educated at a school, rather than at home by private tutors.

King Charles on his arrival at Gordonstoun in 1962, pictured with his father the Duke of Edinburgh

Mr Agnew said that when he was sent to the school, which is in Elgin in Moray, it was relatively unknown, although King Charles' father the Duke of Edinburgh had been there.

"Soon after, they announced Charles was going there and suddenly everyone had heard about it," he said.

The pair had common ground - his family farmed in Norfolk while the royals had Sandringham.

Stuart Agnew lives close to the royal estate of Sandringham, in Norfolk, and represented the region as a UKIP MEP

The popular perception, enhanced by the Netflix drama The Crown, is that the King did not enjoy his time at Gordonstoun, although he has has said this is a misconception.

Mr Agnew said the King was treated differently in some respects.

"He and I were two of eight people doing history A-Level and sometimes would be the first two to arrive in the class and he would start to ask me about farming and shooting... and I would start to talk to him about these things," he said.

"If anyone else came into the room, I immediately stopped talking to him and moved away, as I didn't want to be seen sucking up to Prince Charles.

"Everyone was like that; they didn't want to be seen doing that.

"Imagine what that was like for him.

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"As the years went by I thought I would hate to be in his shoes, because of the huge expectation that was upon him, in that he had to do well academically.

"He had to be in the choir and perhaps sing a solo, he had to master a musical instrument, he had to take the lead part in a Shakespeare play, he had to get the Duke of Edinburgh's Award gold.

King Charles III playing Macbeth in his younger days. Current fees at Gordonstoun are £14,550 per term for Years 9 to 12

"He wasn't particularly sporty, but he did really try and I just felt really sorry for him - that so much expectation could be put on somebody like that at that age," said Mr Agnew.

"It must have been hell. It wasn't his choice - he was born into it and he had to go where he was told.

"I think he'll make a good king; he understands what has to be done; I wish him the best of luck."

Queen Elizabeth II visiting Gordonstoun in July 1967 - her eldest son's final year at the school