GCSE results: How Prince Harry, Prince William and Kate Middleton faired in exams - and the royal who failed

GCSE results: How Prince Harry, Prince William and Kate Middleton faired in exams - and the royal who failed As students across the UK prepare to open their GCSE exam results, it's worth remembering even the royal family were once in their position - and some were far more academically inclined than others Like many a nervous student up and down the country, even members of the Royal Family once had to sit in the exam hall and put their nose to the grindstone to test their academic knowledge. So as anxious pupils from across the UK gear up to open their GCSE results, it's worth bearing in mind that the royals were once in exactly the same boat. Despite the privilege of attending some of the finest schools in the land, with access to world-class tutors, they too will have felt the gut-wrenching anxiety of not knowing what lay inside that fateful envelope. Here, we take a look at who the sharpest royals in the family are, which ones decided that academia simply wasn't their calling, and what they went on to do once they received their results.... Prince William and Prince Harry Future King Prince William has proved himself to be among the most academically gifted members of the Firm. William spent five years at Ludgrove Prep School in Berkshire before moving on to the prestigious all-boys Eton College. The Prince of Wales managed to leave with an impressive 12 GCSEs, and his results appear to have been rather remarkable. While the exact grades William achieved remain undisclosed, they were strong enough to propel him into his A-levels. He went on to achieve As in Geography and History of Art, along with a C in Biology, securing him a coveted place at the distinguished St Andrews University. Prince Harry, despite following his elder brother to Eton, proved to be less academically driven. The younger royal was a sports captain who represented the school in rugby, polo and cricket. He still managed to achieve an impressive 11 GCSEs before progressing to A-levels. After gaining a B in Art and D in Geography, Harry decided that further academic study wasn't the route for him. Rather than pursuing university, Harry opted to enlist in the Army. Princess Kate The Princess of Wales sat her GCSEs at Marlborough College in Wiltshire, one of Britain's leading independent schools, where Princess Eugenie was also educated during her adolescent years. Kate gained 11 GCSEs before subsequently securing As in Maths and Art and a B in English for her A-levels. Like William, Kate took a gap year before embarking on university. She then went to St Andrews University to read History of Art, where she first met her future husband. Meghan Markle Growing up in the US, Meghan Markle didn't follow the same educational trajectory as the Royal Family. While we don't have precise details about her academic results, we know she was a gifted and well-regarded student. Meghan commenced her secondary education at Immaculate Heart High School in 1992, where she was acknowledged as a hardworking and committed pupil. America doesn't utilise GCSEs or A-levels for student evaluation like the UK, and while Meghan's SAT scores (the American university entrance examination) haven't been made public, she obtained the required grades to gain a university place. She continued her education with a double major in Theatre and International Relations from Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois in 2003. Throughout her time at university, Meghan completed an internship at the US Embassy in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where she became fluent in Spanish. She also studied French for six years. Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie When it comes to Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, the York sisters both performed admirably in their GCSEs, though Eugenie surpassed her sister in terms of results. Princess Beatrice achieved nine GCSEs including two A*s. Her strongest subjects were history and drama, and she also gained As in French and Art, alongside Bs in all remaining subjects. Eugenie secured two A*s, four As and three Bs at the private Marlborough College in Wiltshire. At the time, a spokeswoman for her mother, Sarah Ferguson, said: "She's feeling relieved and really happy." King Charles The late Queen and Prince Philip opted to send their children to Gordonstoun, a famously rigorous Scottish boarding school that combines academic study with physical training. It's widely documented that Charles struggled at school and found his time there difficult. He departed with five O-levels (the former equivalent of GCSEs) and two A-levels - a B in History and a C in French. He subsequently went to Cambridge University where he obtained a 2:2 degree in History. Princess Diana Princess Diana wasn't as academically accomplished as her sons would ultimately turn out to be, and she in fact did not pass her exams. She sat O-levels rather than GCSEs but failed to pass, even after two attempts. Yet she soon uncovered where her real abilities lay — finishing school. She enrolled at an institution in Switzerland, where she thrived in deportment.