Prince Philip was born a leader but irritable, school report reveals
Prince Philip was born a leader but irritable, school report reveals
Alice LilleySat, August 1, 2026 at 6:33 PM UTC
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Prince Philip as a young man at Gordonstoun in Elgin, Scotland - PA
Prince Philip was a born leader who mucked into “dirty and arduous work” but was prone to bouts of anger and irritability, his final school report has revealed.
Some records about the late Duke of Edinburgh’s time at Gordonstoun school in northern Scotland have been released early and placed in the National Archives at Kew, despite being expected to remain closed to the public until 2041.
Kurt Hahn, the school’s founder and headteacher, said in a reference written in December 1938 that the prince should be kept occupied and closely monitored to ensure his hot temper does not become a problem.
Mr Hahn, a Jewish-German experimental educator who opened the school in 1934, said: “Prince Philip is a born leader but will need the exacting demands of a great service to do justice to himself.
“His best is outstanding – his second best is not good enough. He has the greatest sense of service of all the boys in the school.”
The prince later became known for his blunt and controversial comments while out performing his public duties.
The Duke, centre, talks to housemasters at Gordonstoun School in 1962 - Keystone/Getty Images
Mr Hahn selected the prince to be the school captain and said he was “universally liked and respected”.
But, he sometimes found it difficult to control his temper, adding: “When baulked in his plans [he is] still inclined to jump to angry conclusions.
“He has a marked power for gathering and giving precise evidence. He hates subterfuge. Prince Philip has unusual courage and endurance.”
Mr Hahn also appointed him as captain of the school’s hockey and cricket teams but he warned “the lure of the moment remains his danger”.
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He said: “He has the makings of a first-class organiser. He has a natural power of command. As a leader of games he is at times too irritable. He has a power of meticulous application, but will only do his best under pressure.”
The headteacher gave him an A for his overall intelligence and “B pluses” for the accuracy and reliability of his work and how his skills could be applied to the industrial world.
Mr Hahn also commended the prince’s German-speaking abilities and said he had a special interest in Greek military history.
The newly-released records also contain a certificate which showed that the prince was an active member of Gordonstoun’s Seamanship Guild and participated in school expeditions to Norway and the west coast of Scotland.
The report said: “During these cruises he proved himself to be a cheerful shipmate and very conscientious in carrying out both major and minor duties. He is thoroughly trustworthy and not afraid of dirty and arduous work.”
The 17-year-old “Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark” used an evaluation of his time at the school, which was released in the files as part of his application to join the Royal Navy in 1939.
Prince Philip’s application was successful and he graduated from the Royal Naval College in Dartmouth in January 1940, before serving during the Second World War with distinction.
He married Princess Elizabeth in 1947 and, after she was crowned Queen, he went on to become the longest-serving royal consort in British history.
Gordonstoun School, where King Charles and his brothers also attended, declined to comment on the records.
A Gordonstoun spokesperson said: “The records of all Gordonstoun alumni are private.”
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
