Member of royal family to join university in Cirencester
The 18-year-old royal will study rural land and property management after collecting his A-level results, Buckingham Palace said.
- On Thursday, August 13, 2026, James, Earl of Wessex, received his A-level results and confirmed he will attend the Royal Agricultural University this autumn to study Rural Land & Property Management.
- Ahead of his studies, James has been working as a farmhand at King Charles's Sandringham estate, where an estate worker told The Sun, "he is more than happy to get his hands dirty and muck in."
- James is the first royal to study at the Royal Agricultural University, although Princess Anne's first husband, Captain Mark Phillips, attended. The course teaches "the fundamentals of rural professional practice as well as planning and development."
- Neither James nor his sister, Lady Louise Windsor, is expected to become a working royal. Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, said, "They are very likely to have to work for a living."
- Reflecting a broader trend, total A-level entries topped 900,000 for the first time this year, as the 18-year-old joins thousands of students planning their next steps. He follows his sister, Lady Louise, who graduated from the University of St Andrews earlier this year.
21 Articles
21 Articles
A very regal cohort! From Princess Leonor of Spain to the Earl of Wessex, where are the young royals going to university in 2026?
Whether it's aerospace engineering in Delft or Rural Land & Property Management at a very royal institution indeed, the next gen of the European monarchy is about to fly the nest, just ask Princess Leonor
James, Count of Wessex, begins to emerge from the discreet position he has occupied for practically his entire life within the British Royal Family. At the age of 18, the son...
James, Count of Wessex, will begin at the age of 18 a career in Land and Rural Property Management and will not use the Royal Highness treatment
At 18, the youngest son of Prince Edward and the Duchess of Edinburgh has received his university entrance exam results and already knows what his next step will be: he will study Land and Property Management at the Royal Agricultural University in Cirencester. Read more
Late Queen Elizabeth’s Grandson Rejects HRH Title for College Life
Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images James, Earl of Wessex, could have taken an HRH title but spent his summer driving tractors on the Sandringham estate. He turned 18 with a choice in front of him, one his parents deliberately left open. The announcement about his exam results and his next step arrived this week, and the wording of it answered a separate question entirely. His sister made the same call weeks earlier. Buckingham Palace confirmed Ja…
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 44% of the sources are Center
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
