Inside the royal scandal when 14-year-old King Charles was spotted chugging alcohol
A then-14-year-old Charles made headlines in 1963 when he got into some serious trouble.
At the age of 14, the now-King Charles made headlines after he was spotted drinking alcohol at a hotel bar in Scotland.
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Back in the 1960s, Charles attended Gordonstoun Boarding School in Moray, Scotland – just like his own father, Prince Philip, did before him.
In his second year, Charles went on a trip to Isle of Lewis with some of his classmates, with a dinner and movie planned for them.
Under pressure of his classmates, Charles ordered his first drink at the Crown Hotel in Stornoway – which was reportedly a cherry brandy.
According to Prince Charles: The Passions and Paradoxes of an Improbable Life by Sally Bedell Smith, the then-Prince of Wales said: “I said the first drink that came into my head because I’d drunk it before, when it was cold, out shooting.”
As he sipped away, Charles was unaware that a news reporter had got hold of the scandal and had published the story.
Also according to Sally’s book, the King said: “I have never been able to forgive them for doing that. I thought it was the end of the world.”
Following the scandal, Charles’s bodyguard Don Green – who always accompanied him – also reportedly lost his job. At the time, Buckingham Palace denied the reports that Charles had actually ordered the brandy.
In 2022 – after the death of the late Queen Elizabeth II – Tom Strathmore, the owner at the Crown Hotel in Stornoway, invited Charles back to the pub for a drink.
Speaking to the Scottish Daily Express, he said: “As with everyone across the globe we are deeply saddened by the loss of HM Queen Elizabeth II.
“We send our sincere condolences to all of the royal and we would like to send our congratulations and best wishes to our new King, HM King Charles III.”
They also added: “Of course should he ever head this way again we’d be delighted to serve him his tipple of choice, a cherry brandy as we did all those years ago when he was just 14.”
Now at the age of 75, the monarch is said to enjoy a strong cocktail before bed each night.
According to the Mirror, royal commentator Gordon Rayner said the monarch has a daily tipple made with half gin and half dry vermouth, garnished with an olive or lemon twist.
Reports have also suggested that when he travels, the monarch likes to carry the ingredients with him.
He also reportedly likes to bring along his own glass, ensuring that it is done exactly to his taste.
