The Royal Family are a well-known symbol of the UK. In the past, royalty did not traditionally go to university, instead choosing to start royal duties after school concluded. However, these days young members of the Royal Family are more likely to head to university before juggling jobs alongside royal engagements and charity work.
1. The Duke of Cambridge
The Duke of Cambridge studied at the University of St Andrews, where he initially pursued a degree in art history before changing his main subject to geography in the second year. Prince William graduated with a master of arts, earning a 2:1. While at university, he played water polo and met his wife, Kate Middleton. The couple lived together with friends during the second year.
2. The Duchess of Cambridge
The Duchess of Cambridge, formerly Kate Middleton, attended the University of St Andrews, in Fife, Scotland, and studied history of art. After graduating, she worked part time as an accessory buyer at the clothing chain Jigsaw and for her family’s party planning business until she married the Duke of Cambridge in 2011.
3. The Prince of Wales
The Prince of Wales, the Duke of Cambridge’s father, was the first heir to the throne to achieve a university degree. He attended Trinity College, Cambridge, where he studied anthropology, archaeology and history. He also spent a term at the University College of Wales, Aberystwyth, where he studied Welsh and the history of the principality. While at university, he spent time studying at archaeological sites in France and taking part in excavations in Jersey, in the Channel Islands.
He was also part of Trinity’s drama group, the Dryden Society, and appeared in two of the society’s annual productions. He received a master’s from the University of Cambridge in 1975.
4. Princess Beatrice
The daughter of the Duke of York and Sarah, Duchess of York, Princess Beatrice studied history and the history of ideas at Goldsmiths, University of London. She was diagnosed with dyslexia as a child and has since become a patron for the Helen Arkell Dyslexia Centre and supports Springboard for Children, a literacy project for young children with learning difficulties.
5. Princess Eugenie
Princess Eugenie is Princess Beatrice’s younger sister and eighth in line to the throne. She attended Newcastle University, where she studied a combined honours degree in art history, English literature and politics. She graduated in 2012 with a degree in English literature and art history.
6. Peter Phillips
Peter Phillips is the eldest son of the Princess Royal and her first husband, Captain Mark Phillips, and the eldest grandson of the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh. Peter attended the University of Exeter and graduated with a degree in sports science. While at Exeter, he played rugby league.
He and his sister, Zara Tindall, do not have official titles because their parents rejected the Queen’s offer of titles when they were born. They are the only grandchildren of the Queen not to have titles.
7. Zara Tindall
Sister to Peter Phillips, Zara Tindall also attended the University of Exeter, where she studied physiotherapy. The horsewoman has won an Olympic silver medal and received an MBE for her services to equestrianism in 2007.
8. Meghan Markle
American actor Meghan Markle will become a member of the Royal Family after her marriage to Prince Harry in May 2018. Before her acting career, Ms Markle studied theatre and international studies at Northwestern University, near Chicago. While she will give up acting to undertake royal duties, Ms Markle will continue to work with charities and to support humanitarian causes.
And if you’re wondering why her fiancé is absent from this list, it’s because Prince Harry didn’t go to university.
Read more: best universities in the UK
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