Somewhere in the Standard archives is a striking photo of a young boy, sat on a horse in Cirencester Park, pointing into the face of Prince Charles.

Reporter Ryan Merrifield set out to learn the background to the image.

In summer 1981, Prince Charles visited Cirencester Park for a horse exhibition put on by the late Mark Vestey, who was at the time a champion polo player.

Hundreds of jockeys, horses and spectators filled the park, including Bruce Attwood, a 14-year-old Royal-enthusiast, determined to meet the Prince.

Bruce, who has Down’s syndrome, was on a day trip with other pupils and teachers from Bettridge School in Cheltenham, along with his dad, Harold.

The Prince of Wales at one stage was passing down different lines of spectators and jockeys, while Bruce, also a keen rider, was sitting atop a horse, waiting to meet one of his heroes.

However, HRH passed by Bruce without noticing him, only for the boy to shout after him.

“Bruce wasn’t going to miss his chance. He called loudly after him,” said his mum, Anne, who has heard the story recounted numerous times over the years.

She said, Charles turned and retraced his steps to greet Bruce.

“I’m astounded that he came back to speak to him,” said Anne, who was years later awarded an MBE for her services to the disabled by the Prince himself at Buckingham Palace.

“Bruce told Charles he lived in Hatherley, near the pub, and invited him over. He told him ‘my mum will give you a cup of tea. And bring Diana!’” she said.

The prince told him he would see what he could do, and while Bruce was ‘pointing his finger, pressing the point’, said Anne, a photographer for the Standard snapped a very memorable photo, which appeared in print the following week.

“We had the photo framed and it’s been on the wall in our living room ever since,” said Anne, 77, who still lives at the same house in Cheltenham with Bruce, now 50.

Despite Prince Charles never actually coming for tea with Bruce, Anne said he still refers to HRH as a ‘good friend’.

The photo became a great talking point when Anne was reunited with her younger sister Wendy Crewe, of Cirencester, after 25 years earlier this year.

Ann’s husband Harold, who died on December 27 last year, encouraged his wife to get back in touch with her sister.

“Wendy was very intrigued by the photo when she came round to visit,” said Anne, and suggested contacting the Standard.

Wendy, 74, said she was ‘over the moon’ to have got back in touch with Anne, and had been worried that Bruce might not remember her but said he did and ‘he loved me all the same’.

Both sister’s had been born and raised in Kenya, with their parents, Lawrence and Annette Totty, having served as missionaries in Africa for many years, with Anne and Wendy having gone to boarding school in Nairobi before returning to England to train as nurses.

Ann, who had met her husband whilst a second-year nurse at Cheltenham Hospital, when he came in for an emergency operation, was awarded her MBE for 35 years service to children and adults with disabilities, which has included raising money and working at Oakley Adults Centre, which Bruce still attends.

She said she reminded Prince Charles of his meeting with Bruce when she met him at Buckingham Palace and he said he remembered, calling him a ‘very cheeky chap’.