King Charles was reportedly left stunned by a moment of rugby madness (Image: Getty)
King Charles was in Wales on Thursday as he and Queen Camilla attended the Royal Maundy Service at St Asaph Cathedral in Denbighshire, north Wales. It marked only the second occasion the event has taken place in Wales in its 800-year history, with the King and Queen welcomed by enthusiastic crowds. In the days preceding the visit, however, council workers found themselves removing graffiti from the cathedral’s walls that read “Not our King.”
The day itself proceeded as scheduled, with King Charles recognising more than 150 people for their exceptional Christian service and for supporting people in their communities as part of the ceremony. It was undoubtedly worlds apart from another royal engagement Charles attended in Wales roughly 57 years earlier, when the now King witnessed a startling incident at a rugby match which reportedly left the monarch astounded and sent shockwaves through the rugby world.
The episode occurred in 1969 when the late Brian Price, frequently likened to Alun Wyn Jones, delivered what remains the most notorious punch in Five Nations history, felling Ireland’s Noel Murphy.
It happened directly before a young Charles, who was watching from the stands at Cardiff Arms Park.
The then 20-year-old, just months before his investiture as Prince of Wales, was said to have been taken aback by what he saw.
Charles had previously spoken about his introduction to rugby at Gordonstoun School, where he claimed that vindictive teachers positioned him in the second row so that “systematic assaults on me in the scrum went unseen”.
Now, he was witnessing the brutal nature of the sport at first hand.
Early in the match, directly in front of the royal box, second-row Price landed a right hook that floored flanker Murphy.
It was subsequently reported about the Irish player: “He turned towards the grandstand, his head high and dignified, befitting a prince of Irish players, as though imploring the sympathy of the young Prince of Wales seated in the royal enclosure, then crashed to the ground like a felled oak! How the crowd roared.”
Remarkably, the referee opted against sending off Price. This prompted a baffled David Coleman, a BBC presenter and commentator, to question: “What do you have to do to be sent off at rugby?”
Brian Price (right) threw a punch which left the future King appalled (Image: Getty)
Meanwhile, The Times roundly condemned “a deplorable act of ruffianism,” adding in a curious observation that “it was the depth of bad manners”.
Murphy, one suspects, regarded it as considerably more than a lapse in judgment.
Years later, Price, who ranks among Welsh rugby’s greatest ever players and is not known for on-field violence or aggressive behaviour, acknowledged that a tactical plan had been devised ahead of the match targeting Murphy, who was considered adept at slowing down possession.
“There was a Murphy plan, let’s admit that at the start,” he confirmed.
“It was simple enough. Gareth Edwards would pick the ball up from the scrum, go round the side where Noel would tackle him. Then we’d all do a little bit of trampling on Noel.”
Nevertheless, this led to the Irish centre suffering an assault in front of royalty.
“I got the ball back from a lineout and then found some fingers around my eyes,” Price stated.
“I turned round and lashed out. The referee looked at me and I was thinking: ‘I’m going. In front of the Prince, I’m going.’ Thankfully, the ref realised it was done in retaliation, warned me and gave Ireland a penalty.”
The King’s reaction to the incident that overshadowed his maiden visit to the Arms Park was never recorded.
Yet the match remains firmly etched in the memories of many as Wales triumphed 24-11, denying Ireland the Triple Crown.