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EXCLUSIVE PHOTO: Orf with his shirt! When His Royal Hunkiness Prince Charles was just one of the crew on HMS Jupiter…
- Exclusive images show the then Prince Charles aboard HMS Jupiter as part of the crew
- The then 25-year-old insisted he be treated like any other off-duty crew member
- Images show him playing volleyball and tug of war as the boat travels on the Pacific Ocean
- The future king remained in the navy until late 1976 when he resumed royal duties
Stripped to the waist and lounging on deck, this muscular navy man could be any member of the crew off duty relaxing in the tropical sun.
And although he was destined to become king, that was exactly how Charles, then Prince of Wales, insisted he be treated aboard HMS Jupiter. As our exclusive photos show, the 25-year-old played volleyball and took on the thrills in a tug of war as the frigate steamed across the Pacific.
“He has done well to be part of the crew,” says a source. “Once the miracle of having him on board wore off, it was more or less business as usual. He became a different officer, relaxed and having fun. It must have been a relief to him to forget he was a royal.”
Stripped to the waist and bellowing on deck, this muscular marine man could be any member of the crew off duty relaxing in the tropical sun
The images show the then Prince of Wales playing volleyball aboard HMS Jupiter in 1973
The Prince surprised the crew when he joined the ship as a communications officer when it docked in Singapore in January 1974 en route to New Zealand.
The source recalls Charles’s servant, a “rather unfit citizen,” blowing up the gangway with some brown leather suitcases, but added: “There was no fanfare. We were told to treat the prince as we would like to be treated ourselves. It was exciting, but we wondered if he would be distant.’
But he was absorbed in the crew’s games on the helideck. “It was so hot,” the source said. “Charles was bare-chested, but wore tropical shorts to the knee, spotless white socks and sneakers.”
As our exclusive photos show, the 25-year-old played volleyball and took on the thrills in a tug of war as the frigate steamed across the Pacific
The Prince surprised the crew when he joined the ship as communications officer when it docked in Singapore in January 1974 en route to New Zealand
But every time the frigate docked in port, the source said, “Charles’s body language changed. He was his dutiful self’
The crew sometimes spent evenings performing. At one point, Charles recited Rudyard Kipling’s If, saying, ‘This poem meant a lot to me growing up. I hope you enjoy it.’
But every time the frigate docked in port, the source said, “Charles’s body language changed. He was his dutiful self.”
He remained in the Navy until late 1976 when he resumed royal duties.