The best and worst Royal family A-level results revealed – from Prince Harry and Meghan Markle to Prince William and Kate Middleton

After months of hard work and what feels like a lifetime of suspense awaiting satisfactory grades, students around the country finally open their A-Level levels today. 

It may be of some comfort, however, to know that members of the Royal family have been through the exact nerve-wracking experience like every other student in the UK.  

From King Charles to Prince Harry to Kate Middleton – along with Lady Louise Windsor, who is the most recent royal to sit her exams – results among the Royal clan are surprisingly varied.

Some Royals are revealed to be exceptionally high achievers, while others received somewhat average results – there is even a particular notable member who had received no formal education whatsoever. 

This goes to prove that regardless of the grade or result – or background – there will always be an opportunity or alternative path elsewhere that can lead to a bright and successful future. 

King Charles 

Charles studied for both his O-levels – which are now known as GCSEs – and two A-level exams while at school.

The King achieved 5 O-level grades and a B in A-level History, alongside a C in French while attending Scottish boarding school Gordonstoun.

Although they weren’t top-scoring results, they were still enough to secure Charles a spot at Cambridge University, where he went on to achieve a 2:2 degree in History.

It has also been widely rumoured that Charles’ bodyguard – who accompanied him to all of his lessons – also sat the course exams and managed to achieve a First, thus beating the senior Royal.

Prince William 

Alongside his father, Prince William also studied at an elite private school, attending Eton College in 1995.

William secured his A-level results in 2000 after five hard years of study, achieving a variety of grades including an A in Geography, a B in Art and a C in Biology.

Achieving the results meant that William was able to secure a place to study History of Art at St.Andrews in Scotland.

It wasn’t long, however, before he swapped courses to begin studying his true passion – Geography.

Before embarking on his degree at St.Andrews, William decided to take a gap year and spent months globetrotting – including travels to Tanzania, Botswana, Kenya and Chile. 

Prince Harry  

Prince Harry did not naturally follow in his big brother’s footsteps academically when he received his A-Level grades at Eton in 2003 – achieving a B in Art and D in Geography.

Harry did, however, have an extensive, impressive list of extracurricular activities, including: being the House Captain of Games, representing the school at polo, cricket and rugby, all while being a member of the Combined Cadet Force.

After completing his exams, Harry also took a gap year and travelled to Africa, Australia, Argentina before ultimately deciding not to continue his university studies. 

Instead, he joined the Army and has enjoyed a successful career within the force  ever since.

Kate Middleton 

Notoriously known for her competitive streak when it comes to husband Prince William, it is no surprise that Kate scored a higher set of grades than William in her A-Levels. 

Having attended Marlborough College in Wiltshire for her formative years, she managed to obtain As in both Maths and Art, and a B in English.

Achieving these grades meant that Kate was able to secure a place at St.Andrews, where she would later go on study History of Art, meet her future husband and fall in love.

Kate also decided to take a gap year before migrating back to her studies – graduating from St. Andrews in 2005 with a 2:1 in History of Art.

Meghan Markle 

As an American, Meghan Markle received her education in the US, so she didn’t typically follow the same exam system that we have here in the UK.

Instead of A-levels, students in the US sit SAT exams – a special type of multiple choice test that is administered every year to students who are hoping to attend university.

Although her results were never released to the public, it has previously been reported that she achieved high enough grades to study at Northwestern University – a prestigious private research university based in Evanston, Illinois.

Meghan studied for a double major in Theatre and International Relations, before graduating in 2003.

As well as studying French for six years, Meghan also completed an internship at the US Embassy in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where she learned to speak Spanish.

Princess Anne 

Princess Anne is a trailblazer in being the first female British royal to ever attend school.

Anne made sure to set high ambitious standards for generations to come when she completed her six O-Levels at Benenden School in Kent.

Anne then went on to obtain 3 A-level exams in English, History and Politics, although the grades have never been publicly confirmed.

Princess Diana 

Princess Diana was not as academically blessed as her Royal counterparts, struggling to excel in her studies during her school years.

While attending school, Diana failed all of her O-level exams – not just once, but twice!

However, the Princess of Wales never let these setbacks stop her from performing well in a much different venture – excelling in deportment having attended finishing school in Switzerland. 

She went on to work as a nanny before marrying Prince Charles and assuming full-time royal duties. 

Princess Eugenie

Perhaps considered to be the most academic of the Royals, Princess Eugenie secured two As in Art and English Literature and B in History of Art when she sat her A-level exams.

Her impressive grades meant that Eugenie was able to study English Literature, History of Art and Politics at Newcastle, graduating at the end of her three-year course in 2012 with a 2:1.

Princess Beatrice 

Eugenie’s older sister Princess Beatrice also managed to achieve an impressive set of grades when she sat her A-Levels, earning an A in Drama and two Bs in History and Film Studies.

Later, she went on to study at Goldsmith’s where she was awarded a 2:1 in History of Ideas.

Lady Louise Windsor 

Completing most of her higher education exams during the pandemic, Lady Louise Windsor received her A-Level grades in 2022 – securing top grades to study at St Andrews on an MA in English.

Her actual grades were never released to the public, but the university’s entry requirements for the course were set at AAA – with a minimum of ABB – meaning that the ace student must have scored highly in order to obtain her place.

A Palace spokesman said at the time: ‘Having received her A-level results today, Lady Louise will start at St Andrews University in September to study English.’

Queen Elizabeth II 

Queen Elizabeth never received formal education at school and never once sat an academic exam at any point in her life, meaning that she received no formal qualifications.

Up until her uncle Edward VIII’s abdication in 1938, her late majesty was taught by a governess every day from 9.30am until 11am.

After that, she was then taught the skills necessary for her future role as queen, including lessons on constitutional history taught by the vice provost of Eton College, Henry Marten.

Regardless of her lack of formal education, The Queen was well known for her intelligence and curious mind, and always possessed an appetite for learning something new. 

The monarch became fluent in French before assuming the throne in 1952 after developing a keen interest in the subject in her younger years.