BRITAIN: Prince Charles is to respond to British government accusations that he is old-fashioned and out of touch in his views on ordinary people's aspirations.
At a seminar in London today, the prince will say his ideas may be old-fashioned, but that does not mean they are wrong. He will also deny that he believes people should not try to rise above their station, according to officials.
"Success can come in many forms," the prince is expected to say. "In my view it is just as great an achievement to be a plumber or a bricklayer as it is to be a lawyer or a doctor."
The British Education Secretary, Mr Charles Clarke, said last week the prince should think carefully before intervening in the debate over education and should not discourage ambitious children. He was reacting to comments made by the prince in a memo read out as evidence in an employment tribunal after one of his personal assistants suggested that she and people like her should be trained for more senior positions in his household.
"What is wrong with everyone nowadays?" the prince wrote in the memo last year. "Why do they all seem to think they are qualified to do things far beyond their capabilities? People think they can all be pop stars, high court judges, brilliant TV personalities . . . without ever putting in the necessary work or having natural ability."
Critics interpreted his outburst as evidence of snobbery, an attempt to keep people in their place. Supporters said he was advocating a flexible education system catering for the talents and limitations of all children.
"Not everyone has the same talents or abilities but everyone, with the right nurturing, can make a real difference to their communities and to the country," Prince Charles will say today.
Mr Clarke said on BBC television yesterday: "What the prince is saying [ in response] absolutely closes this particular chapter and indicates his own commitment to people's ambition, which I think is very important."