It’s official, these are the UK unis where you’re most likely to find a royal
Apparently Edinburgh’s the place to be
Famously, Prince Will and Kate met whilst they were both studying at St Andrews. But they’re not the only royals who went to uni – far from it. Some of the members of the royal family went to classic posh universities like Exeter and Edinburgh, but it’s not all just Oxbridge – the vibey party uni Newcastle also features, and shockingly none of them have gone to Durham.
These are all the UK unis where you’d be most likely to live with a royal in halls, sit next to them in lectures, or even get with them in a club and then fall in love and have loads of babies and an actual palace.
All the UK universities of the royal family:
St Andrews
William got AAC at A-Level, took a gap year before going to St Andrews and went on to graduate with a 2:1 in geography. He originally started studying history of art but said he had to change after he “kept falling asleep in lectures”, which I think might be the only relatable thing he’s ever said.
Kate Middleton got AAB at A-Level and then studied history of art after taking a gap year, graduating with a 2:1 in 2005. She and Will met in their first year at St Andrews, but it is widely speculated that Will fell for her after she wore a sheer black dress in a charity fashion show at the uni, which he had a front-row seat at. At the time though Kate was dating a fourth year student. Scandalous.
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Whilst at uni, William apparently loved sambuca shots and a £135 cocktail called Treasure Chest, which is served in a wooden chest and is a combination of peach liquor, brandy and champagne. Sounds … nice. “Everybody thinks I drink beer but I actually like cider”, he said in an interview for his 21st birthday.
And Will’s cousin is a student at St Andrews right now! Lady Louise Windsor, the daughter of Prince Edward, started at St Andrews in September 2022. She is studying English, which has entry requirements of AAA at A-Level.
Edinburgh
If you want one of the universities to meet a fit young member of the royal family, look no further than Edinburgh, where several of them studied.
Sam Chatto and his brother Arthur, both grandsons of the Queen’s sister Princess Margaret, both went to Edinburgh. After going to Eton, Sam graduated from Edinburgh in 2017 with a history of art degree. His Insta is very wholesome – he’s interested in yoga, travel and pottery making.
Arthur Chatto, Sam’s younger brother, also studied history of art. He joined the Royal Marines after graduating. Arthur no longer has Instagram, but when he had an account it showed him enjoying working out, arctic diving, mountain climbing and playing the bagpipes. But you can make do with this from one of his fan accounts:
Amelia Windsor, who is 42nd in line to the throne as the granddaughter of Prince Edward, the Queen’s cousin, studied French and Italian at Edinburgh. She goes by Mel, has over 100k followers on Instagram, and is a model and sustainable fashion activist.
Newcastle
Princess Eugenie went to Newcastle, living in halls that cost £96 per week. Unlike many of the rest of the universities the royal family members went to, Newcastle is way less posh and way more fun. She reportedly had round the clock protection from Met Police bodyguards, which was said to cost a chill £25k per year. In her final two years Eugenie moved out of halls and lived with seven friends in a student house.
She got AAB at A-Level so was originally rejected from studying English lit as Newcastle’s entry requirements were AAA. But Eugenie was apparently allowed to study combined honours English lit, history of art and politics because she “had more significance” than other applicants. She graduated in 2012 and got a 2:1.
Exeter
Siblings Peter Phillips and Zara Tindall – Princess Anne’s children – both went to Exeter. Peter graduated in 2000 with a degree in sports science, and was part of the uni’s Rugby League team.
Zara took a gap year and then studied physiotherapy. Many of the royal family love horses and Zara is no exception – at uni she specialised in equine physiotherapy, going on to win an Olympic silver medal as well as an MBE for her services to equestrianism. She’s now married to the rugby player Mike Tindall (yes, who was on I’m a Celeb).
Goldsmiths
Princess Beatrice, Eugenie’s sister, went to Goldsmiths in London. She graduated with a 2:1 in history and the history of ideas in 2011. During one of her uni summer holidays Beatrice worked as a sales assistant at Selfridges, the boujee department store in London.
Cassius Taylor – grandson of Prince Edward, the Queen’s cousin – also went to Goldsmiths, studying arts management and graduating in 2019. His parents are Lady Helen Taylor, a fashion ambassador and muse to Giorgio Armani for 17 years, and Timothy Taylor, a London art dealer. Cassius is one of the edgiest young royals, he’s friends with Jude Law’s kids and is the co-founder of a club night in Shoreditch in London. He is 45th in line to the throne.
Cambridge
King Charles got two A-Levels – a B in history and a C in French – and then went to Trinity College, Cambridge in 1967. He was the first British royal to get a university degree, and came out with a 2:2 after studying history, archaeology and anthropology.
He was a member of his college’s drama group, appearing in sketches and plays, as well as playing polo matches and playing in the orchestra. All very Cambridge.
His brother, Prince Edward, also went to Cambridge. His admission was controversial because he got CDD at A-Level – big yikes. Edward was at Jesus College and graduated in 1986 with a 2:2 in history.
Featured image (L-R) via Instagram @samchatto / Shutterstock / Tim Rooke/Shutterstock / Instagram @amelwindsor
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