23 April 2023 , 14:58
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A medieval castle in Wales has been transformed into a private school attended by princes and princesses, children of millionaires and refugees.
Many of the students at Atlantic College in St Donats Castle in the Vale of Glamorgan pay £33,500-a-year for the privilege of being there and brushing shoulders with royalty.
But half of the students come from humbler backgrounds and are admitted through scholarships, reports Wales Online.
Among the royal students attending the college is Royal Highness Princess Alexia of the Netherlands who moved to Wales to pursue her International Baccalaureate (IB).
Princess Elisabeth of Belgium is a graduate and alumni include Dutch King Willem-Alexander and Crown Princess Raiyah of Jordan.
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The school canteen in the Grand Hall (WalesOnline/Rob Browne)The castle was donated to the founding committee of the Atlantic College in 1960 and helped create the IB.
The earliest parts of the castle were built in the 12th century by the De Hawey family - and it has been lived in ever since, making it the longest continually inhabited castle in Wales.
By the late 1200s, the castle was owned by the distinguished Stradling family and it became more of a country house inside a heavily fortified castle.
The earliest parts of the castle were built in the 12th century (WalesOnline/Rob Browne)They lived there for some 440 years and the arms of the Stradling family still greet visitors over the outer arch.
The castle's antique ceilings, fireplaces, old moat and battlements hint at the 800 years of rich history contained in the castle walls.
In the Great Hall, there are long tables placed beneath chandeliers with the familiar smell of a school canteen.
It is the longest continually inhabited castle in Wales (WalesOnline/Rob Browne)Among the furnishings is a 15th-century screen from a church in Devon, and a hooded fireplace which probably came from France, Keri Norris, who has worked at the college for 20 years, said.
Atlantic College says its mission is "to bring together young people from around the world to help create an atmosphere for peaceful coexistence between cultures and nations".
Gemma Lyon, communications and engagement officer at UWC Atlantic, said: "The students want to go out and change the world, they want to make a difference."
Half of the students are on scholarships (WalesOnline/Rob Browne)The school's principal, Naheed Bardai, said: "Wales is beautiful and it's such a progressive forward-thinking country. It's the place to be."
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He added: "We know the place where students are educated makes a difference.
"It's the most-lived in castle in Wales. They are not only impacted by the history of the place but they are also part of that history. The young people who all call this castle home go and shape the world."