PICTURES: King Charles' Former School Gordonstoun holds Mini Coronation for Junior Pupils
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TWO of Gordonstoun's junior pupils got to live as royals yesterday, as the school held their own mini coronation.
In order for the pupils of King Charles' former school to learn more about the coronation ceremony, six-year-old Hamish and seven-year-old Jessica got to enjoy a royal honour, as they played the part of King Charles and Queen Camilla during the ceremony.
The ‘royal couple’ travelled by pony and trap down the school’s ‘silent walk’ to its historic Michael’s Kirk, where the real King would once have worshipped whilst at school.
When asked if he had any advice for the King ahead of the Coronation, Hamish said he should “have a bath”. Jessica added: “and porridge for breakfast”.
Head of Junior School, Cath Lyall said: "Our coronation ceremony was lovely, it was a great opportunity to involve the whole school community and we have had great fun doing it.
"The pupils all know that we are one of the only schools that has educated the King, so they are very excited about it.
"Putting on our own coronation has been a fantastic experience for the children, doing it themselves has helped them learn and understand what's going on, so that when they watch the coronation they will know all about it and understand the protocol behind it - probably more than a lot of us now!"
The junior school all attended the ceremony, with pupils taking on the roles of the congregation, a performance from the school's choir and even a local cat the event inside the Church.
Principal of Gordonstoun Lisa Kerr said:“Our Junior School coronation is the first of many special activities at Gordonstoun to mark the coronation of King Charles III. There is an air of excitement around the campus, our students are inspired by the example our King sets and they can see in him, many of the qualities being nurtured in themselves, via our broad curriculum.
"Experiencing a mini Coronation, with the horse and cart, flag waving and ceremony, is a wonderful way for our youngest pupils to gain an understanding of this weekend’s historic event. King Charles was a keen actor during his time at Gordonstoun, taking lead roles in many school performances, and I think the enactment is a really lovely way to acknowledge that.”
As well as the Junior School coronation on Friday, on Saturday students will ‘breakfast like a King’ with a menu based on what King Charles would have eaten at school. They will be able to watch the real coronation in their boarding houses and, in the evening, all 500 pupils will take part in an outdoor ceilidh.
On Sunday, the local community is also invited to the school for entertainment and a picnic which will raise money for local charities.
