NELSON Mandela’s former bodyguard was the guest of honour at a talk to pupils at Peter Symonds College.

Chris Lubbe, who is now an inspirational speaker and coach, was invited to the college by upper sixth students Abigail Busenze and Poppi Toon and spoke to a packed audience about growing up in South Africa under Apartheid.

Staff and students heard that it was simply his height - six feet and three inches - and his size 14 shoe size that caught the eye of Nelson Mandela, who was so impressed by his stature that he offered him the position as one of his bodyguards.

He continued on to say when he was nine years old, he wrote letters to world leaders including Her Majesty the Queen, to help end apartheid.

Although he did not receive any replies, when working as Nelson Mandela’s bodyguard he travelled extensively and a number of famous people including Her Majesty the Queen.

She had indeed written a reply to nine-year-old Chris, which he did not receive, but she gave to him when they met.

In the course of his travels, pupils also heard Chris has met President Bill Clinton, Beyonce, Jay-Z, played table-tennis with Coldplay’s Chris Martin and even sung with Michael Jackson.

Chris said: “My life began in the rural surroundings of Port St Johns, in the eastern Cape of South Africa. At high school, I discovered I had a gift for speaking and led students in protest against the unjust system of Apartheid. This action was to set me on a collision course with the Apartheid regime, so I spent the rest of life involved in the relentless struggle against discrimination.

“My mission in life is to use my past experiences and passion for people to connect, communicate and inspire positive change.”