Young Prince Charles smiles in throwback photo tribute to 'inspirational' headteacher Betty Campbell

Prince Charles has paid tribute to Wales' first black headteacher following the unveiling of a statue in her honor in Cardiff. 

• Prince Charles has shared his "fond memories" of meeting Betty Campbell, the first black headteacher in Wales, following the unveiling of her statue in Cardiff. 
• Prince Charles met the inspiring educator during a trip to Mount Stuart Primary School Wales in 1994. 
• In other royal news, Prince Harry's bodyguards pinned Mike Tindall to the ground after joke punch.
  

Prince Charles has shared a nostalgic photo of him meeting Wales' first black headteacher following the unveiling of a statue to commemorate her legacy. 

The Prince of Wales celebrated the life of the late Betty Campbell MBE, an educational pioneer and racial justice activist, with a throwback shot from a trip to Wales in 1994. After hearing about the headteacher's fantastic leadership skills, the young Prince Charles paid a special visit to Mount Stuart Primary School in Cardiff to congratulate her face-to-face and learn more about her 'inspirational' approach to academia. Betty famously placed black culture on the map at her school, stirring a ripple effect in classrooms across Britain with her introduction of Black History Month to the curriculum. 

Betty died in 2017 at the age of 82, leaving behind a legacy that continues to touch students in Britain to this day. A four-meter-high statue of her was unveiled in the center of Cardiff yesterday, in honor of her incredible contribution to the UK education system. 

The Prince of Wales shared his "fond memories" of his visit to Mount Stuart Primary School on St. David’s Day Eisteddfod, calling Betty an "inspiration" to people across Wales and "beyond." 

"I saw, at first-hand, the immense respect and affection in which Betty Campbell was held by all who knew her," he said. "That hard-earned respect was the result of her determination to overcome any and every obstacle she encountered. In succeeding, against the odds, she became an inspiration to generations of people, of all ages, and all backgrounds, not just in her own beloved city, but in the rest of Wales and beyond.”

When asked by the education office if a VIP guest could attend the celebration, Betty had initially refused. She changed her mind, however, after discovering the person-in-question was Prince Charles. 

"He was fantastic, the way he treated us and the time he took to talk to people," she told the BBC in 2016.

"I'd been firmly told that he won't say anything so I wasn't to ask him. Well I didn't listen and I said to him 'Your Highness I think people would like to hear from you' and he said 'certainly'.

"He had everyone in the place laughing and clapping. He was only due to stay for about 15 minutes but I think he stayed for 40 minutes. He was brilliant."