When Prince William wanted to quit university: The royal came close to walking away from St Andrews (where he met Kate) after one term - before key intervention changed his mind By Alesia Fiddler Published: 02:08 EDT, 27 September 2024 | Updated: 02:08 EDT, 27 September 2024 e-mail View comments Though he left with a first-class degree and a girlfriend he would go on to marry, things could have gone very differently had Prince William fulfilled his desire to leave university. After he spent his gap year travelling, the then 19-year-old's time in higher education got off to a rocky start. William began studying a degree in Art History at St Andrews in September 2001.
However by the end of his first term the Prince was having second thoughts. Royal expert Robert Lacey told in his 2020 book Battle of Brothers how William only spent two of the 13 term-time weekends at the university and would often go home to London or Highgrove. The 19-year-old prince with his father Prince Charles during a visit to an education centre in Glasgow, shortly before he started university in 2001 Prince William at St Andrews during the start of his degree after enjoying a gap year of travelling Charles and William greet crowds who have gathered to see him on his first day at St Andrews When William first expressed doubts over his choice of course and institution, his grandfather Prince Philip responded with: 'William needs to knuckle down and not wimp out.
' The young prince confided in his father, no.