14 October 2023 , 06:38
545
0
King Charles didn't attempt to soften the blow of Prince Harry's educational struggle, which the future monarch told him was 'no secret'.
It's fair to say that the sovereign's younger son wasn't quite as academic as his big brother William, excelling in other areas during his time at Eton. He left the top school with a B in Art and D in Geography in his A-levels and had a big call to make about university. But his dad was in no mood to give him false hope and 'told Harry straight' that there were better options out there for him than to carry on down the route of further education. The teenage Prince decided to join the Army instead of pursuing university and he said he never once regretted it.
Harry clenches his fists as he leaves Eton College back in 2003 (Getty Images)
His future was in the Army - something his father backed (POOL/AFP via Getty Images)In the Duke's tell-all memoir Spare, he touched on how his father did not push him on to further education and he also made a surprising passing comment about the degree that Princess Kate chose to pursue He wrote: "That was why he didn’t press me to go to university. He knew it wasn't in my DNA. Not that I was anti-university, per se. In fact, the University of Bristol looked interesting.
"I’d pored over its literature, even considered a course in art history. (Lots of pretty girls took that subject.) "But I just couldn't picture myself spending years bent over a book. My Eton housemaster couldn't either. He'd told me straight-out: You’re not the university type, Harry. Now Pa added his assent. It was no secret, he said gently, that I wasn’t the 'family scholar'."
Harry's sister-in-law Kate studied Art History at St Andrews University where she first met Prince William and graduated with a 2:1. The Prince of Wales was also originally enrolled into the same course but he decided to change his degree to Geography and also finished his studies with a 2:1 classification. Harry however chose to enter the army instead of pursuing education which is something he claims he has no regrets about.
Nursery apologises after child with Down's syndrome ‘treated less favourably’
Harry didn't disagree with his father's remark (AFP/Getty Images)In another part of his book, he penned: "I never once regretted my decision to skip university." He also discussed the fact that the media allegedly began rumours that he had regretted his choice but claims they were false.
Harry's wife Meghan Markle has a bachelor's degree in Theatre and International Studies from Northwestern University School of Communication so the couple's two kids Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet may be inspired by their mother to pursue further education themselves one day.
The Duke of Sussex has never been known for his love of academia but now claims his schooling was "amazing", though he "probably wasn't as grateful" at the time. The former senior royal attended Wetherby School, Ludgrove School and Eton College before enrolling at Sandhurst Military Academy.