A Historical Gem on Colombo's Border

Bordered by Galle Road in the east and Lunawa Lagoon in the west, this beautiful piece of land of about 15 acres is known throughout the island as the Prince of Wales College, which is located on the border of Colombo, with a heritage of ancient history.

A Tribute to King Edward VII's Legacy

On December 1, 1875, in memory of King Edward VII, the Duke of Wales, who succeeded to the city of Sri Lanka on December 1, 1875, His Highness Charles Henry de Soyza, the Grand Commander of Moratuwa, received a written permission from the Sri Lankan government on November 27, 1875 to build this educational institution under the name Prince of Wales.

A Historic Foundation and Architectural Beauty

Accordingly, on September 14, 1876, the foundation stone of this land was laid at the behest of Sir William Gregory, the Governor of Sri Lanka. The school plan was completed under the guidance of Mr. Mohandiram Mandis Jayawardena, who was a great citizen of Moratuwa. This building stands out as one of the most beautiful school buildings in Sri Lanka at that time.

A Philanthropic Legacy for Prince of Wales College

In the beginning, Mr. Sir Charles Henry De Soysa arranged to hand over five buildings with all the goods such as tables and chairs for the use of the students, and it is said that the control and management activities of the school were conducted by him throughout his life with great care and attention. Let us remember with pride that in his last will, he has noted that Rs. 3000 should be recovered from his assets annually for the cost of the school after him.

Evolution, Growth, and Milestones

In the beginning, the teaching staff consisted of 40 teachers in the school. It ran four institutions as the Prince of Wales’ College, the Princess of Wales’ College, the Prince of Wales’ vernacular College, and the Princess of Wales’ vernacular College. The vernacular Colleges lasted for 7 years and the Prince of Wales’ College became a high school. Apart from this, two classes were organized for undergraduate students. The first prize giving ceremony of this school was held in 1883 under the chairmanship of Mr. Sir John Douglas. The first dormitory of the college opened in 1882.

A Journey of Art, Anthem, and National Recognition

The Buddha temple was built in 1967, demonstrating the creative skills of Mr. Tissa Gunawardena, an expert artist. The statue of Mr. Sir Charles Henry De Soysa at the front of the school ground is also one of his designs. It is a special event that Mr. B. Godaheva, who was the deputy principal of the college in 1967, created the Sinhala school anthem. L.E. Blaise served as the fifth principal of this school. During Mr. Blaise's time, we were allowed to accept the national anthem of Wales in England as the English anthem of our school. On July 4, 1991, our school was declared as a national school, and in 1992, the primary section was started again.