Prince Harry On Skipping University As Princess Kate’s Degree Choice Resurfaces

Prince Harry has revealed that he once considered going to university but ultimately chose a very different path, while making a surprising comment about the Art History degree Princess Kate pursued at the University of St Andrews. The Duke of Sussex discussed his decision in his memoir Spare, explaining that higher education was never something his father, King Charles, pushed him toward.

Harry wrote that Charles understood university was not necessarily suited to his personality and therefore did not pressure him to follow the traditional academic route taken by other members of the Royal Family. However, the Duke made clear that he was not completely opposed to the idea of going to university.

“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,” Harry wrote in Spare.

The Duke revealed that he had actually looked closely at the University of Bristol and even considered studying Art History. His reasoning for being attracted to the subject, however, included a rather unexpected observation about the students who took the course.

“In fact, the University of Bristol looked interesting. I’d pored over its literature, even considered a course in art history,” Harry wrote, before adding the cheeky comment that “lots of pretty girls took that subject.”

Harry’s remarks are particularly interesting because Art History was also the subject selected by his sister-in-law, Kate. The Princess of Wales studied the subject at the University of St Andrews in Scotland, where her university years would ultimately change the course of her life.

It was at St Andrews that Kate first met Prince William, who had initially enrolled in the same Art History course. Their friendship eventually developed into a relationship, and the couple went on to marry in 2011.

William later changed his academic direction, switching from Art History to Geography. He successfully completed the course and graduated with a 2:1 classification.

Harry, meanwhile, decided against university altogether and chose a career in the British Army. His military service became one of the defining parts of his life before he eventually stepped away from frontline royal duties.

Despite acknowledging that he had considered higher education, Harry has maintained that he does not regret choosing a different path. In another section of Spare, the Duke was particularly clear about how he viewed his decision.

“I never once regretted my decision to skip university,” Harry wrote, suggesting that his military career provided him with the experiences and direction he wanted at the time.

His decision also stands in contrast to Meghan Markle’s educational background. The Duchess of Sussex attended Northwestern University and earned a bachelor’s degree in Theatre and International Studies from the university’s School of Communication.

The different educational paths taken by Harry, Meghan, William and Kate demonstrate how varied the experiences of the younger generation of the Royal Family have been. While William and Kate both attended university, Harry pursued military service, while Meghan followed an academic route in the United States.

Harry’s comments about university have resurfaced as interest continues in the educational futures of his own children. Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet will eventually have to make their own decisions about higher education and careers.

Whether they follow their parents’ paths or choose something entirely different remains impossible to predict. Archie and Lilibet have parents with very different educational and professional experiences to draw upon as they grow older.

For now, Harry’s reflections in Spare offer an unusual glimpse into a decision he made during his youth. While he briefly considered following William and Kate into university life, the Duke ultimately chose the Army and insists that, despite the opportunities he passed up, it is a decision he has never regretted.