Surf King

Prince Charles may pride himself on his model manners, but, according to the manager of a British surfing museum, he was known to lack etiquette on the waves when he used to go surfing as a young man.

Peter Robinson, founder of the Museum of British Surfing, which today released a set of blurry images showing a young Prince of Wales running along the shore with his surfboard, told the Royalist that Charles didn’t have the greatest of manners when it came to surfing. Locals would often swear at the Prince for “drop-ins” on them – where a surfer pushes in on a wave that someone is already riding.

"He was told to eff-off on more than one accession by the surfers here," Mr Robinson said in a phone call today.

One of the pictures shows his treasured Aston Martin car parked up on the beach. Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge drove through London in the car after their wedding last year.

The pictures were donated to the Museum of British Surfing in Braunton, North Devon.

Mr Robinson added: “Britain has a long tradition of royal surfers that gives our culture a unique and fascinating heritage. From at least the early 1900s, our royals have been taking to the waves here, in Hawaii and Commonwealth countries – often taking advantage of the Royal trip to go for a cheeky surf.”

It is thought that the Prince was first introduced to the sport on a royal trip to Australia. Within five years of the pictures being taken, Charles went on to become patron of the British Surfing Association.

In 1978 he hosted the British surfing team at Buckingham Palace before they went off to compete in the World Championships in South Africa that year.

Other royal surfers include Prince William, who has frequently been spotted surfing in Cornwall.