How King Charles III helped bring author and journalist Howard Jones to Albury

Well, indirectly that is.

The retired Border Mail reporter - described as one of Albury-Wodonga's living treasures - emigrated to Australia in 1982 with his wife Hazel, and their two sons, Philip and Robin (their youngest, Brendan, was born here).

Mr Jones' love of history and writing about it was born in his home country.

He worked on several newspapers, wrote a history of his home town, Aberystwyth, and co-authored a book on St Donat's Castle for which a young Prince Charles "graciously wrote the foreword" in the early 1980s.

"Little did he know I was a republican," Mr Jones chuckles.

What many others don't know is that Mr Jones carries the rather dubious distinction of being black-listed by Scotland Yard for a flippant comment he made about the now King of England some 50 years ago.

The story begins when a teenage Charles arrived at Aberystwyth in 1969 to study Welsh language and history in the lead-up to his investiture as Prince of Wales.

"He was accompanied by a special branch (from Scotland Yard) during the 8 to 10 weeks he spent studying there," says Mr Jones who was a reporter at the time - and a "very young and slightly bolshie" town councillor.

He points out that around that time nationalism was rising in Scotland and Wales.

Amid peaceful protests, a number of bombs were let off.

"Security services were jumpy," he says, "and if anyone spoke out they were black-listed."

Mr Jones recalls seeing Charles frequently (but never meeting him) and even attended a reception for him at the town hall - but wasn't introduced.

The trouble began, as it often does, at the local pub.

Mr Jones would meet up with his Western Mail colleague Mansel Jones ("my best man in 1970") who was always on the lookout for news.

"We had great fun making up stories for him to send to his newspaper quoting 'a spokesman for the trades council' (of which, coincidentally, Mr Jones was president)," he laughs.

"Sometimes I sent similar stories myself to the Daily Post (Liverpool) as a freelance reporter."

In 1968 they went too far.

"We predicted, just for a laugh, really, that the Investiture of the Prince of Wales would be 'a jamboree for super snobs'," Mr Jones wrote.

"I gave this as my reason for resigning from the Aberystwyth Borough Council's committee dealing with local celebrations marking the investiture.

"This story, printed in several papers, was picked up by Special Branch, who 'listed' me."

This "unfortunate secret status" over the next 14 years would see Mr Jones denied several government public relations jobs at the gas and coal boards, the Welsh Office and BBC Wales.

"Indirectly this led to us coming to Australia, where bolshie republicans are welcome," Mr Jones laughs.

Wales' loss was certainly Albury's gain.

And Mr Jones appears to bear no grudge against the King for being the catalyst behind his move to the other side of the world.

In fact he remembers with some fondness hearing Charles "make his well-received first speech in Welsh at the Urdd (Welsh League of Youth) National Eisteddfod at Aberystwyth".

"He'd learned more in a few weeks than I did after seven years of Welsh lessons at grammar school," he recalled.

And while Mr Jones remains a steadfast republican, he's confident the new king "will do a very good job".

"Even if he is a member of one of one of the most dysfunctional families that's ever been!" he adds, with his customary Welsh chuckle.