The arrival of Prince Charles at Cambridge yesterday to start his university career had all the appearances of a welcome given to a “pop” star.



Prince Charles, who will be 19 next month, was driven in a bright red mini to the gates of Trinity, where he will be for two years, and was immediately screamed and shouted at by more than 1,000 sightseers who had gathered outside the Great Gate.



The words of greeting from Lord Butler, Master of Trinity, were drowned by the cries of well-wishers, and the Prince, together with the Master and his senior tutor shot into Trinity Great Court as the college porters heaved the Great Gate shut against the crush of people outside.

Prince Charles, looking somewhat abashed, had arrived at his college. After meeting his Junior Bursar, Dr Richard Glauert, and the top-hatted head porter, Mr William Edwards, the Prince was taken to his rooms in New Court.



Old friend

There under the neo-Gothic battlements, the Prince met his old friend, Robert Woods, aged 20, elder son of the Dean of Windsor. Robert is in his third year at Trinity reading history and is a noted college oarsman. He took the Prince from his rooms down to the river Cam for his first glimpse of The Backs. Prince Charles asked about rowing prospects and Mr Woods pointed out that rowing went on farther along the river. This stretch was reserved for punting. At this point the Prince had his second taste of public acclaim as an undergraduate when youths with mini-skirted girl friends waved and shouted from the river.



In the Wren library, where today he will have his photograph taken for college record purposes, the Prince was shown the signatures in the college register of his great-great-grandfather, Edward VII, and his grandfather George VI who were both up at Trinity.



New gown

Prince Charles was handed a brand new Trinity gown so that photographers could picture the new student prince, and then he went off to his room.



Last night he dined in Hall and for six shillings had a plain meal of minestrone, roast beef with Yorkshire pudding, roast potatoes, and French beans, and a fruit salad to follow.





Today the Prince, who is reading archaeology, will have meetings with his senior tutor and director of studies before attending his first lecture – probably on Wednesday. The Prince’s director of studies will be Dr John Morton Coles, a Canadian from Woodstock, Ontario, who is the director in archaeology and anthropology.

The Prince will have to keep his room tidy himself, but Mrs Florence Moore, of Whitehall Road, Cambridge, a “bedder” at the college for eight years will make his bed and clean his room.



Prince Charles is one of the 220 freshmen among the 670 undergraduates.





