Inside the surprising royal halls of residence where Princess Kate, King Charles and more lived

February 2024 · 5 minute read

Prince William and Princess Kate are among the royals who moved away for university...

A-Level results day is upon us once again, with thousands of students up and down the country finding out whether they have secured the grades for a place at their dream university – and a place in their halls of residence.

Some people who will know exactly how that feels are many members of the royal family, including Prince Edward and Duchess Sophie's daughter, Lady Louise Windsor, who has completed her first year at the University of St Andrews, following in the footsteps of Prince William and Princess Kate, who both started studying at the prestigious Scottish university in 2001.

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Meanwhile, King Charles, Princess Eugenie and Zara Tindall all moved away to continue their studies, swapping the royal residences they are accustomed to in favour of much more modest student accommodation.

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From the halls of residence where Prince William and Kate first met to the much more luxurious place Princess Beatrice called home while studying, see inside the royal halls of residence below…

Prince William and Kate Middleton

Both Prince William and Kate lived in St Salvators Hall of Residence in their first year of university at St Andrews, which is where they met. The rooms would have been a far cry from the stunning homes William was used to growing up, with photos shared from inside the halls in 2000 showing the basic furnishings provided to students.

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King Charles

King Charles studied anthropology, archaeology and history at Cambridge University where he lived in Trinity College. One snap taken inside his lodgings in 1967 showed the young prince sitting at a desk strewn with papers, while a lamp and family photo can be seen in the background. The room is decorated with floral curtains and wooden furniture, with a fireplace on one wall.

Prince Harry

While Prince Harry didn't attend university, he did share a look inside his dorm room while he attended Eton College as a teenager. Photos of Prince Harry in his bedroom resurfaced in 2018, showing how he was just like any other teenager, and had lined the walls with posters torn out of magazines, an England flag, and a portrait of his mother, Princess Diana.

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Sam Chatto

The late Princess Margaret's grandson Sam Chatto and his brother Arthur both studied at Edinburgh University. Budding artist Sam shared a peek inside his Edinburgh home in an Instagram post, with colourful bunting hung in the window and lots of plants along the windowsill.

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Princess Eugenie

During her time at Newcastle University, Princess Eugenie is said to have lived in the Castle Leazes student residence, where rooms ranged from £102 to £175 per week. It’s likely the Princess opted for a single en suite room, which would have also been catered and has access to a shared kitchen.

Lady Amelia Windsor

Like Sam and Arthur, Lady Amelia Windsor also studied at Edinburgh University. The model previously shared a look inside her student digs with a selfie in her bedroom, which had photos pinned onto the walls and around the mirror, and fairy lights hanging on the walls.

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Princess Beatrice

It's safe to say Princess Beatrice didn't have the average student experience, deciding against staying in halls of residence in favour of an apartment within St James' Palace. As she was only studying at nearby Goldsmiths University, it made sense for Beatrice to stay in her royal residence.

MORE: Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie's surprising London flat cost

Prince Achileas of Greece

Princess Marie Chantal shared a photo many parents could relate to over the summer in 2019, showing how they were preparing their son Prince Achileas for his studies with a trip to US homeware store Bed, Bath, and Beyond. "Dormlife," she captioned the photo. The Princess later shared a photo of the teenager in his new room, which was equipped with a single bed, bed and chest of drawers.

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Meghan Markle

Long before meeting Prince Harry or embarking on her acting career, Meghan Markle studied theatre and international studies at Northwestern University. While there, the future royal lived in the North Mid-Quads dorm, which is home to 85 students across 31 double rooms and 23 single rooms, and has a communal lounge area.

Photo by Chris Walker/Chicago Tribune/TNS

Peter and Zara Phillips

Princess Anne's children both studied at the University of Exeter. While Zara has a degree in Physiotherapy, her older brother studied Sports Science. It is not known where they lived on campus, but they would have several accommodation options to choose from, including Lopes Hall and Pennsylvania Court, which has single en-suite rooms with a utility room and on-site catering.

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