A home from home at school

The Earl of March, who owns the Goodwood Estate in West Sussex, said recently that he ‘hated’ Eton and ‘couldn’t wait to leave’. This came as a surprise to the interviewer, who immediately asked Charles March why on earth he then packed his own three sons off to his horrible alma mater. ‘Amazing, isn’t it?’ came the reply. ‘It’s completely different now to how it was in my day. Fathers and sons have a completely different relationship — warmer, loving. People I was at school with often barely had relationships with their fathers. Mine was different; my parents have always been modern, liberal thinkers.’

It didn’t make much sense. So what, really, was his problem? What had caused his unhappiness at school? Was he bullied? Serially naughty? Out of his depth?

I doubt it. More likely, it was the relationship with his housemaster that was at fault — and probably his relationship with the majority of his teachers too, and his dame (matron), games master and maybe his peers.