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Teenage Philip pictured sailing boat during schooldays


By PA News

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The Duke of Edinburgh is pictured sailing a boat during his teenage years at a prestigious Scottish boarding school in newly released images.

Philip was captured on camera in 1937 – when he would have been around 15 – at the helm of one of Gordonstoun’s boats, a two-mast, 14-ton boat named Diligent.

In another shot, he grins at the cameraman while helping with the washing up.

Philip’s much-loved schooldays at Gordonstoun, in Moray, north-east Scotland, under the eye of his eccentric headmaster Dr Kurt Hahn, inspired him to start his Duke of Edinburgh’s Award scheme.

A teenage Philip grins while washing up aboard the school vessel (Major B Varvill R.A.M.C/PA)
A teenage Philip grins while washing up aboard the school vessel (Major B Varvill R.A.M.C/PA)

The images were taken by the great-uncle of a former pupil, who then contacted the school.

Gordonstoun said its young sailors will pay their own tribute to the duke at midday on Saturday aboard the school’s 80ft sail training boat, Ocean Spirit of Moray, by laying a wreath off the coast of Hopeman Harbour, where Philip first learned to sail.

On the shore, a student piper will play while displaying the Duke of Edinburgh’s coat of arms on a banner presented to the Gordonstoun pipe band by the Queen two years ago.

On Friday, school pupils had already taken part in an early-morning run by way of tribute to Philip.

Morning runs were compulsory at the school until the 1990s and more than 100 students and staff, in household groups, ran a 3.5km route from Gordonstoun House to the nearby coastguard watchtower which Philip reopened in 1955.

The watchtower replaced a wooden hut which the duke, a member of the “Watchers” – a precursor to the Coastguard – helped build in 1935.

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