A smash to the head, a dramatic dash to Great Ormond Street and major surgery... How Prince William got a fractured skull and a 'Harry Potter scar' after being hit with a golf club by a fellow schoolboy at Ludgrove
- A serious injury left Prince William with a 'Harry Potter' scar
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A serious head injury prevented the Prince of Wales from continuing to play golf beyond the age of eight.
In 1991, Prince William suffered an accidental blow to the forehead from a golf club swung by a fellow student at Ludgrove School.
He was promptly taken for examinations at the Royal Berkshire Hospital, where his parents, Prince Charles and Princess Diana, arrived and consulted with doctors.
However, the incident resulted in William sustaining a fractured skull, and he was transferred to Great Ormond Street Hospital for major surgery.
Prince Charles followed the ambulance in his Aston Martin sports car.
He later left to attend the opera, but kept in close contact with the medical team.
Meanwhile, Princess Diana, who also swiftly arrived at the hospital, stayed with William overnight.
Prince Harry visited his brother the following morning before heading to school.
Following two anxious nights spent at the hospital, William was discharged and travelled home with his mother.
Diana's relief was evident as she placed a comforting hand on his.
The bandages had been removed, revealing a noticeable bump and a line of stitches on the young prince's head.
In 1991, Prince William suffered an accidental blow to the forehead from a golf club, which left a permanent scar running across his forehead
William was promptly taken for examinations at the Royal Berkshire Hospital
Princess Diana swiftly travelled to the Royal Berkshire Hospital after receiving the news
Staff watch on as Prince William is transferred to Great Ormond Street Hospital
Prince Charles followed the ambulance transferring Prince William to Great Ormond Street Hospital
Prince Charles arrived at Great Ormond Street Hospital in his vintage blue Aston Martin
Police officers pictured on Powis Place near Great Ormond Street Hospital in London
Following a two-night stay at hospital, Prince William was emitted and travelled home with his mother
William was left with a permanent scar running across his forehead, which he humorously refers to as his 'Harry Potter' scar.
He told the story of the injury while he was being interviewed by a 10-year-old cancer patient for CBBC's Newsround in 2009.
Speaking to Alice, a patient at the Royal Marsden Hospital, he pointed at his head, saying: 'That was for my Harry Potter scar, as I call it, just here.
'I call it that because it glows sometimes and some people notice it - other times they don't notice it at all.
'I got hit by a golf club when I was playing golf with a friend,' he explained.
'Yeah, we were on a putting green and the next thing you know there was a seven-iron and it came out of nowhere and hit me in the head.
'I was in hospital, but that was very minor compared to how many times you've been into hospital.'
The Prince also said the scar 'glows sometimes' - like that of the boy wizard - after he plays sport.
William's scar happens to be something he has in common with his wife, Kate, who also bears a large scar on the left hand side of her head.
Kate's three-inch blemish was first spotted in 2011 when the princess was conducting her first solo royal engagement at a black-tie private dinner at Clarence House.
An official statement from Kensington Palace explained that 'the scar was related to a childhood operation,' but said that details of the surgery were a private matter.
