The King took a trip down memory lane as he visited Royal Britannia Naval College in Dartmouth on Friday, more than 50 years after he trained at the establishment.
Dressed in uniform and ahead of his upcoming Christmas break, Charles, 77, delivered a personal speech to 191 cadets during his outing, saying the college prepared him for his naval career, during which he took command of a Cold War-era minesweeper.
He said: "I have so many memories of my time here, particularly of driving up and down the Dart in the old picket boats as part of what I now see was a crash course in learning the rules of the road at sea by trying to avoid being mown down by over-enthusiastic yacht owners.
"These experiences served me well when, five years later, I ended up commanding one of the last wooden-walled ships in the Royal Navy – the Ton-class minehunter – and desperately tried to avoid becoming yet another headline in the tabloid newspapers by running into the jetty during a berthing operation in a force nine gale. This was all character-building stuff, which has stood me in good stead ever since."
Following in his father Prince Philip's footsteps, the monarch spent six weeks at Dartmouth from 16 September 1971 as a graduate entrant.
During his time in the Navy, he qualified as a helicopter pilot in 1974 and joined 845 Naval Air Squadron. His last appointment was in February 1976, when he had command of the coastal minehunter HMS Bronington.
He used his severance pay of £7,400 to establish the Prince's Trust – now known as the King's Trust – which aims to improve the lives of disadvantaged young people in the UK.
Royal Christmas
The King is expected to host several of his family members at Sandringham for the Christmas period, with the royals traditionally attending church on 25 December. The monarch's annual broadcast will also air at 3pm on Christmas Day.
Charles's visit to Dartmouth comes after a busy week of engagements, including pouring the "perfect" pint of Guinness at the Guinness Open Gate Brewery London in Covent Garden.