King's surprise reunion with former dance partner in Guernsey
King Charles meeting Caroline Freeman during the state visit
ITV News
King Charles had a surprise reunion with a former dance partner while on an official trip to Guernsey.
Caroline Freeman was waiting for the King during a visit to the town of St Peter Port.
The pair had danced the polka together when he was just four years old and she was nine. They were taught by the Vacani School of Dance.
The school gave lessons in "dancing and social etiquette befitting ladies and gentlemen of the upper class" where the young prince is said to have excelled at the Highland Fling.
King Charles meeting Caroline Freeman during the state visit
ITV News
Recalling the lessons with Marguerite Vacani, the King told Ms Freeman: "What was so marvellous was that I had the same dance teacher as my mama, she was terrific. And I promise you, all your tuition helped hugely."
Freeman urged the King to keep up with the lessons, to which he replied: "Don’t worry, I will, I need more."
She told ITV after the interaction: "It was really rather something, I’m so glad it’s happened. He’s kept up with his Scottish dancing but he says he doesn’t do so much at the moment as you can imagine, having not been too good.
"But it’s so lovely to see everybody turn out for him and he was looking very well, I thought."
LATEST ROYAL NEWS
King Charles III and Queen Camilla during a visit to Les Cotils at L'Hyvreuse, in Saint Peter Port
PA
The Vacani School of Dance, which was founded in 1915, includes Princess Elizabeth and her sister, Princess Margaret as former pupils.
Every week, Marguerite Vacani and her niece Betty Vacani would visit Kensington Palace and Windsor Castle to teach the royal children with the help of a young Freeman.
She added: "[King Charles] was a talented dancer and very charming."
“He was only four, Princess Anne was there but she was practically a toddler, it was a lucky and great privilege.”
King Charles and Queen Camilla in the rain
PA
The Channel Islands trip has concluded the day before the planned State Opening of Parliament tomorrow, Wednesday, which is also Camilla’s 77th birthday.
Jersey and Guernsey announced special public holidays to mark the royal visits on Monday and Tuesday, respectively.
The Crown Dependencies are not part of the UK but are self-governing possessions of the British Crown.
You may like
