Gordonstoun
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Gordonstoun is a famous British public school.
Located in a 17th century house near Elgin in Scotland, it was founded as an international school in 1933 by Dr Kurt Hahn, who had chosen to leave Nazi Germany.
It is well-known as the school attended during the 1960s by Charles, Prince of Wales, on the recommendation of his father, Prince Philip, who also attended the school. It has been said that Charles was very unhappy there, although this is unsubstantiated. At that time the school had a (possibly undeserved) reputation for harsh conditions and strict discipline, with the cold showers being particularly cited as a problem. Pupils enjoyed many outdoor activities, including sailing and hill walking.
The school has changed since Prince Charles' time there. It had been a means tested school with boys from varied backgrounds, the rich paying far more than the poorer families. It had not been a popular school and was not really on the list of schools to which the wealthy wanted to send their boys. However after Charles' sojourn there it became fashionable. It later became, and remains, a co-educational school.
Its students have included British Royal Family members the Duke of Edinburgh, the Prince of Wales, the Duke of York, the Earl of Wessex, Peter Phillips, and Zara Phillips. The fictional Lara Croft is also claimed to have attended the school.
External links
- Gordonstoun School website (http://www.gordonstoun.org.uk/grdnstn/stoun.htm)