We’ve heard so much over the years about Kate and William’s relationship at university — how they met, dated, broke up, dated again, broke up a second time, got back together — that it’s easy to forget Harry. Like, why didn’t he go to university? Wait, maybe he did and we just forgot?
Back in 2013, while serving a four month tour in Afghanistan as an Apache co-pilot/gunner, Harry said he enjoyed flying and that he’d be fine doing that over anything else.
“I probably should have done a lot more reading, but I was fine at flying.
“And then every now and then a written test would come up, and I’d be absolutely useless and I’ve been like that from stage one of my youth.”
Harry was always better at sports in school. He even needed to repeat his final year at his prep school Ludgrove to get into Eton College in the late 90s. Now, remember, this is the U.K. where “college” equals two years of study to prepare for university. And university is the equivalent of college in the U.S..
“Exams were always a nightmare, but anything like kicking a ball around or playing PlayStation — or flying — I do generally find a little bit easier than walking, sometimes,” said Harry.
After taking a gap year to travel, Harry shunned university and enrolled in a 10-month course at Sandhurst officer training college.
Harry said he was surprised to be selected for the Apache co-pilot gunner course because he didn’t have any higher education under his belt. “I think back in – whenever it was, two years ago – when it was all decided, it was never expected.
“Because being a junior captain, or a lieutenant then that I was and a non-grad (non graduate), obviously not going to university, therefore the army presume you to be less intelligent, which is nice of them – probably true.
“It’s a joy for me because I’m one of those people who loves playing PlayStation and Xbox, so with my thumbs I like to think that I’m probably quite useful.”
