LONDON, Nov. 22 (UPI) -- Prince Charles publicly defended himself Monday after Education Minister Charles Clarke attacked him as "old-fashioned."
The unprecedented move came after an internal memo written by the prince was revealed during an employment tribunal last week. It stated his belief the British "child-centered system, which admits no failure," gives people hope beyond their capabilities.
Minister for Education Charles Clarke then told BBC Radio: "To be quite frank, I think he is very old-fashioned and out of time and he doesn't understand what is going on in the British education system at the moment." The prince, he said, was "patronizing" and should "think carefully" before engaging in political debates.
Prince Charles told a gathering of bishops in London the interpretation of his comments as a belief that people couldn't rise above their station was "a travesty of the truth."
He said: "I believe passionately that everyone has a particular God-given ability." The education system has a duty to provide the necessary nurturing and training to bring that out, he said.
