On this day in 1999, the Prince of Wales would meet a little-known teenager with aspirations of becoming the greatest Formula One driver of all time.
On a tour of the McLaren factory, Prince Charles was photographed in conversation with a 14-year-old on the driver’s support programme – his name? Lewis Hamilton.
It would be some eight years before Hamilton was behind the wheel of a McLaren in F1, winning his maiden world drivers’ championship the following season in 2008.
Hamilton would leave for rivals Mercedes in 2013 and since then the Briton has added another five titles, breaking records and establishing himself as the man to beat.
He would meet the Queen in 2009 as he collected an MBE following his first championship success but a knighthood has so far eluded the 35-year-old.
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