Prince Philip's final school report reveals teachers thought he was 'too irritable' but praised him for being a 'born leader' and for having 'unusual courage and endurance'

By SHANNON MCGUIGAN, NEWS REPORTER and OLIVIA CHRISTIE, NEWS REPORTER Published: 23:41, 1 August 2026 | Updated: 23:46, 1 August 2026 Prince Philip was prone to flashes of anger and irritability but was a born leader who was not afraid of 'dirty and arduous work', his final school report has revealed. The report from the £60,000-per-year Gordonstoun in Moray, northern Scotland, was written for the late Duke of Edinburgh's application to join the Royal Navy in 1939. Kurt Hahn, the school's founder and headmaster, showered the then 17-year-old 'Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark' with praise. However, he warned Philip sometimes struggled to control his temper, saying: 'When baulked in his plans [he is] still inclined to jump to angry conclusions. 'He has a marked power for gathering and giving precise evidence. He hates subterfuge. Prince Philip has unusual courage and endurance.' Hahn, a Jewish-German experimental educator who opened Gordonstoun in 1934 after fleeing Nazi Germany, became an inspiring mentor to Philip. He appointed him as the school's cricket and hockey captain, and insisted he was 'universally liked and respected', dubbing him a 'first-class organiser'. Hahn said Philip, who attended Gordonstoun from the age of 13, was a 'first-class organiser' who had a 'natural power of command'. While he remarked the prince was at times 'too irritable', he maintained the young royal could only perform at his best while under pressure. Prince Philip (pictured on 2018) was prone to flashes of anger and irritability but was a born leader who was not afraid of 'dirty and arduous work', his final school report has revealed Kurt Hahn, the school's founder and headmaster, showered the then 17-year-old 'Prince Philip (pictured in 1935) of Greece and Denmark' with praise The school report is among records relating to the late Duke of Edinburgh that have been opened early and put in the National Archives at Kew. However, some of the records in relation to Prince Philip are anticipated to remain closed to the public until 2041. The headteacher recorded that the prince had a particular aptitude for speaking German and noted that he had a special interest in Greek military history. The late Duke of Edinburgh received an A for his overall intelligence as well as 'B pluses' for the accuracy and reliability of his work, the Times reported. He also received the same grade for illustrating how his skills could be used in the world of industry. His headmaster, Hahn, also described him as having good taste as well as being musical, and also had 'an unusual grasp' of causality when it came to human affairs. The recently opened files also included a certificate indicating the princeling was an active member of Gordonstoun’s Seamanship Guild. Prince Philip, who was described as a 'cheerful shipmate', participated in school expeditions to the west coast of Scotland and Norway. The report described him as being 'conscientious' in carrying out duties as well as being 'trustworthy', and not shying away from hard work. The Daily Mail has approached Gordonstoun for comment.