A handwritten letter penned by King Charles III more than five decades ago has resurfaced ahead of an auction next month.
The correspondence, written when the monarch was a 25-year-old Prince serving in the Royal Navy, recounts his memorable visit to the Mexican coastal resort of Acapulco in 1974.
The five-page letter was addressed to Colonel Frank Brandstetter, the American hotelier who founded the prestigious Las Brisas hotel, and dated 3 April 1974 from the Caribbean.
In the correspondence, the young royal described having "enormous fun" during his stopover at the luxury establishment, which featured private swimming pools accessible from each guest room.
King Charles letter from his time in Acapulco has resurfaced
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Reflecting on the festivities during his final evening at the resort, the then Prince of Wales expressed some concern about the revelry. "Your party on the last night was the greatest possible fun. I hope we didn't behave too roughly in the swimming pool or destroy anything as a result," he wrote to Colonel Brandstetter.
The young naval officer also made reference to Henry Kissinger, who was serving as United States Secretary of State at the time, and his planned honeymoon at the same Mexican resort.
Charles concluded his letter with warm wishes for Kissinger's upcoming stay, writing: "Judging by my own experience, I am sure he will" enjoy the visit.
Colonel Brandstetter was described by RR Auction as a legendary hotelier, corporate executive and US Army intelligence officer who owned the world-renowned Acapulco resort.
The Mexican hotel later inspired The Four Tops' 1988 hit single Loco in Acapulco, which reached number seven in the UK charts.
The letter is set to be auctioned next month
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At the time of writing, Prince Charles held the rank of lieutenant and was working as a communications officer aboard HMS Jupiter.
Throughout the 1970s, he served in both the Royal Air Force and Royal Navy, with postings on the guided missile destroyer HMS Norfolk and frigate HMS Minerva. That same year, he earned his helicopter pilot qualification.
The letter is expected to fetch approximately £300 when it goes under the hammer at RR Auction on 12 February.
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The monarch has previously spoken about his efforts to avoid unwanted press attention during his naval career.
During a visit to Britannia Royal Naval College in Dartmouth last month, more than half a century after completing his training there, he shared memories of his time at sea.
King Charles served in the Royal Air Force and the Royal Navy during the 1970s
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In his speech, the King recalled how he "desperately tried to avoid becoming yet another headline in the tabloid newspapers by running into the jetty during a berthing operation in a force-nine gale" whilst commanding one of the Navy's last wooden-walled vessels, a Ton-class minehunter.
Charles spent six weeks at Dartmouth in 1971 as a graduate entrant before concluding his active naval service in 1976 as commander of HMS Bronington.
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