Princess Royal opens coastguard centre at King’s old school

The Princess Royal has officially opened a new coastguard centre at the King’s former school.

Senior students at Gordonstoun School will now be able to respond to emergency calls 24/7 following the launch of the purpose-built facility on the school campus.

The school said that from September, they will be the first cadet corps in the UK to attend live search-and-rescue callouts.

They will support HM Coastguard North East on the front line by responding to missing persons and rescue searches on land, along the Moray coast.

The new building replaces the previous “watchtower” structure opened in 1955 by Prince Philip, the late Duke of Edinburgh, which was later used by the King when he was a member of the coastguard service during his time at Gordonstoun.

The Princess Royal – who holds the role of warden at Gordonstoun – on Tuesday unveiled a plaque naming the new centre The Winthrop-Young Gordonstoun Coastguard Centre, in memory of a family linked with the school since it was founded.

Gordonstoun principal Peter Green said: “Gordonstoun founder Kurt Hahn, one of education’s greatest innovators, said ‘we make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give’.

“Like him, I firmly believe that students need to encounter ‘compassion’ during the daily cycle of school life underpinned by our service to the community, where every senior student takes part in one of Gordonstoun’s nine community and rescue services.

“Those in the Coastguard team are fully trained to help with search-and-rescue emergency incidents, which is a great example of how students at Gordonstoun are challenged to take part in activities outwith their comfort zone.”

He added: “It is fitting that HM The Princess Royal opened the new coastguard centre today, which will support a service that Prince Philip and HM The King had fond memories of being involved with.

“Her duty to service is a great example to all our students at Gordonstoun on how important it is to give something back and support communities.”

He said that Geoffrey Winthrop-Young, a mountaineer and educator, was instrumental in establishing Gordonstoun and later responsible for its renowned “character education”.

The new centre was funded with the support of Antonios Mikellides and family, long-term supporters of the school, who donated around £600,000.

There are currently 21 senior Gordonstoun students – 11 active and 10 training – who are supporting HM Coastguard.

Richard Cavaye, station officer of the Gordonstoun Coastguard operational support team, said: “The coastguard centre has been fully fitted out with an interactive briefing room, hi-tech screen and maps.

“There is also a changing area with hard hats, boiler suits, hi-vis jackets, ropes and torches, providing the students with everything they need to respond to emergency incidents at a moment’s notice.”

The new facility is said to be a major upgrade compared with the watchtower building opened in 1955 by the King’s father, also a former pupil.

In a TV broadcast in 1977, Charles described how, as a teenager, he found it “extraordinarily exciting and rewarding” to be involved in the coastguard unit at Gordonstoun.

Assistant Chief Coastguard David Sharp was also at the school on Tuesday.

He said: “It’s been a pleasure to join others to celebrate Gordonstoun’s new coastguard centre, opened today by HRH The Princess Royal.

“This new building provides students with access to equipment and facilities designed to support HM Coastguard’s coastguard rescue service in Moray.”

During the visit, the Princess Royal met students inside the centre who were simulating a response to a search-and-rescue incident, and visited other parts of the school

Her children, Zara Tindall and Peter Phillips, are among the royals to have been educated at Gordonstoun.