As the Royal Family play such important roles, it should come as no surprise that they receive some of the finest education the world can offer to ensure we are in good hands.
That quality of education has resulted in them landing at some prestigious universities.
From Trinity College to St Andrew’s University, our monarchy have picked up degrees in the likes of History, Geography, and English Literature.
As millions of students prepare for university to start up again for the new academic year, we take a look at where the royals attended.
King Charles III – Trinity College at Cambridge
In 1967, King Charles – then newly The Prince of Wales – read Archaeology, Anthropology and History at Trinity College, part of the University of Cambridge. He received a 2:2 Bachelor of Arts degree in 1970.
The King got very involved with university life at Cambridge, according to an old New York Times piece.
His Majesty reportedly played polo against Oxford, played cello in the orchestra, wrote for the university magazine Varsity, and attended an archaeological dig in Jersey, among other activities.
His mother, the late Queen Elizabeth II, didn’t go to university.
Instead, she was educated privately and taught by scholars from Eton College.
Prince William and Kate Middleton – St Andrews University
Prince William famously met his wife Catherine at St Andrews University in Scotland, when they both joined as students back in 2001.
The Prince of Wales studied Art History before switching subjects to Geography, ultimately earning a 2:1 in his Bachelor of Arts degree.
The Princess of Wales got the same result, 2:1, but stuck it out without Art History.
The Waleses have since been back to St Andrews, last paying their old campus a visit in May 2021.
Princess Beatrice – Goldsmiths College
Prince Andrew’s eldest daughter, Princess Beatrice, got a 2:1 in her Bachelor of Arts degree.
Her subject was History and the History of Ideas, which she read at Goldsmiths College, part of the University of London, from 2008 to 2011.
Beatrice reportedly said of her time at Goldsmiths, upon graduating: ‘I have had the most amazing university experience. Goldsmiths College is a wonderful place to study.’
Princess Eugenie – Newcastle University
Beatrice’s younger sister Princess Eugenie, meanwhile, opted to study up north at Newcastle University.
The Princess stayed in student halls called Castle Leazes during her first year, though Hello! reports she had round-the-clock Met Police protection while living there.
She graduated in 2012 with a 2:1 Bachelor of Arts in English Literature, Art History and Politics.
Apparently, Eugenie was sad to leave the North East, saying: ‘As we arrived [to graduate], I got really sad and I thought ‘I want to stay here for a while.’
‘I will take away the amazing experience I had with all my friends in my house, living there.’
Eugenie also shared that she enjoyed a visit to the Angel of the North statue in Gateshead, plus a cheeky splash in the now-defunct North Shields water park Wet and Wild.
Prince Edward, The Earl of Wessex – Jesus College at Cambridge
Prince Edward, like his elder brother The King, studied at Cambridge University.
The Earl of Wessex graduated in 1986 with a 2:2 Bachelor of Arts degree in History from Cambridge’s Jesus College.
Meghan Markle – Northwestern University
The Duchess of Sussex studied at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, in the US.
Her degree was a double major of Theatre and International Relations, of which the former Suits star told Marie Claire in 2013: ‘I knew I wanted to do acting, but I hated the idea of being this cliche – a girl from LA who decides to be an actress.
‘I wanted more than that, and I had always loved politics, so I ended up changing my major completely, and double-majoring in theatre and international relations.’
During her time at Northwestern, Meghan took on an internship at the US Embassy in Buenos Aires, Argentina – and was also a member of the sorority Kappa Kappa Gamma.
She began her degree in 1999, and Northwestern notes her graduation year as 2003.
Zara Tindall and Peter Phillips – Exeter University
Both of Princess Anne’s children decided to study at Exeter University in Devon.
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Peter Phillips graduated in 2000 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Exercise and Sports Sciences. Zara Tindall, meanwhile, studied Physiotherapy at Exeter.
Lady Louise Windsor – St Andrews University
Prince Edward and Sophie, The Countess of Wessex’s daughter is just about to start university.
Lady Louise is set to attend the same school as The Prince and Princess of Wales, namely St Andrews University in Scotland.
The popular young royal, 18, is due to study a Bachelor of Arts in English. If she starts a three-year course in 2022, Lady Louise is likely on track to graduate in 2025.
MORE: Why are Beatrice and Eugenie princesses? Royal titles explained
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