Jan Hugo stands beside mannequins depicting Britain's Queen Elizabeth and King Charles, which are part of her extensive collection of British royal memorabilia, near the town of Cessnock on October 15, 2024. — AFP
King Charles embarks on a six-day tour of Australia on Friday, a country where he briefly attended school, shared a memorable seaside kiss, and narrowly escaped an assassination attempt. This marks his 17th visit since his first arrival as a shy teenager in 1966—and his inaugural tour as king. Here are five lesser-known facts about Charles' time in Australia.
Then-Prince Charles first set foot in Australia as a lanky 17-year-old, sent to the remote alpine Timbertop school in regional Victoria. A significant shift from his rigorous Scottish education, he spent two terms cutting logs for firewood and enduring arduous hikes in the surrounding forests.
Items from Jan Hugo's collection of British royal memorabilia are showcased at her home near the town of Cessnock on October 15, 2024. — AFP
Charles later commented, "While I was here, the British stiffness was knocked out of me," describing his time at Timbertop as "by far the best part" of his education. Media mogul Rupert Murdoch, among other affluent alumni, also studied at Timbertop, while former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson served as an assistant there.
During a royal tour to Western Australia in 1979, a bare-chested Charles ventured into the ocean. As he approached the shore, he was unexpectedly kissed on the cheek by a bikini-clad model. The photograph, instantly iconic, helped Charles shed his pretentious image, leading some to suspect it was orchestrated by Buckingham Palace.
On an earlier tour, Charles opted out of a wetsuit to surf at Sydney's world-renowned Bondi Beach, remarking, "By gee, it's bloody cold. Reminds me of home." During that 1977 visit, Charles granted a rare interview to the music television show Countdown.
Charles returned to Australia with his wife Diana in 1983, drawing throngs of admirers eager to catch a glimpse of the "people's princess" at landmarks like the Sydney Opera House. On their first joint royal tour, Diana broke protocol by bringing baby William along. Their dance at Sydney's Wentworth Hotel inspired a poignant scene in the popular series The Crown.
In 1994, as Charles prepared to deliver a harbourside speech to a packed Sydney crowd, two gunshots rang out. Security swiftly subdued the gunman, while Charles was seen adjusting his cufflinks. It later transpired that the 23-year-old assailant was a human rights protester who fired blank rounds in a staged attempt to raise awareness for asylum seekers.
