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The circle of the humanist scholar [[Erasmus]], who promoted the [[liberal arts|liberal arts and sciences]] over military training for princes, had an influence on the education of the future [[Henry VIII]] and later the [[House of Stuart|Stuart]] princes.<ref>Pollnitz, p. 10.</ref> Historian Aysha Pollnitz writes: "While Erasmus never managed to deter English or Scottish royal boys from military training, he did succeed in tipping the scales in letters' favor: between 1534 in England, 1566 in Scotland and the outbreak of the [[Bishops' Wars]] in 1639, princes male and female spent more time learning to wield pens than swords or guns."<ref>Pollnitz, p. 10.</ref> During this period, "British princes were notably bookish" in comparison to the [[House of Habsburg|Spanish Hapsburgs]] (who emphasized "bureaucratic skills, handling weapons, and orthodox piety").<ref>Pollnitz, p. 10.</ref> While female royals in [[early modern Britain]] were not raised in preparation to rule and received liberal educations that were constrained in comparison to their male relatives, [[Mary I of England|Mary I]], [[Elizabeth I of England|Elizabeth I]], [[Lady Jane Grey]], [[Mary, Queen of Scots]], and [[Elizabeth Stuart, Queen of Bohemia]] all wrote letters generally praised by scholars.<ref>Pollnitz, pp. 199-202.</ref>
The circle of the humanist scholar [[Erasmus]], who promoted the [[liberal arts|liberal arts and sciences]] over military training for princes, had an influence on the education of the future [[Henry VIII]] and later the [[House of Stuart|Stuart]] princes.<ref>Pollnitz, p. 10.</ref> Historian Aysha Pollnitz writes: "While Erasmus never managed to deter English or Scottish royal boys from military training, he did succeed in tipping the scales in letters' favor: between 1534 in England, 1566 in Scotland and the outbreak of the [[Bishops' Wars]] in 1639, princes male and female spent more time learning to wield pens than swords or guns."<ref>Pollnitz, p. 10.</ref> During this period, "British princes were notably bookish" in comparison to the [[House of Habsburg|Spanish Hapsburgs]] (who emphasized "bureaucratic skills, handling weapons, and orthodox piety").<ref>Pollnitz, p. 10.</ref> While female royals in [[early modern Britain]] were not raised in preparation to rule and received liberal educations that were constrained in comparison to their male relatives, [[Mary I of England|Mary I]], [[Elizabeth I of England|Elizabeth I]], [[Lady Jane Grey]], [[Mary, Queen of Scots]], and [[Elizabeth Stuart, Queen of Bohemia]] all wrote letters generally praised by scholars.<ref>Pollnitz, pp. 199-202.</ref>


From the 18th to the mid-20th century, [[Heir to the throne|heirs to the British throne]] were educated in emulation of [[French royalty|French royal]] custom. A governor and a [[preceptor]] were appointed for the child when it was of sufficient age, the former responsible for lessons concerning morality and the latter for lessons concerning academic subjects. During this period ideas about appropriate education for the royal family have also changed.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=SRye55LCNFYC&pg=PA12 Peter Gordon, Denis Lawton, ''Royal Education: Past, Present, and Future''], Psychology Press, 2003, pp. 12–13</ref> The reigning queen, [[Elizabeth II]], was the last member of the royal family to be educated by tutors in the traditional manner.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Clarke|first1=M.J.|title=The Education of Royalty in the Eighteenth Century: George IV and William IV|journal=British Journal of Educational Studies|date=February 1978|volume=26|issue=1|pages=85–87}}</ref> She was "home-schooled in history by the [[Provost (education)|provost]] of [[Eton College|Eton]], and speaks French fluently."<ref name="i"/>
From the 18th to the mid-20th century, [[Heir to the throne|heirs to the British throne]] were educated in emulation of [[French royalty|French royal]] custom. A governor and a [[preceptor]] were appointed for the child when it was of sufficient age, the former responsible for lessons concerning morality and the latter for lessons concerning academic subjects. During this period ideas about appropriate education for the royal family have also changed.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=SRye55LCNFYC&pg=PA12 Peter Gordon, Denis Lawton, ''Royal Education: Past, Present, and Future''], Psychology Press, 2003, pp. 12–13</ref>


Historians have "assessed how well royal education has prepared monarchs for their [[Monarchy of the United Kingdom|political and ceremonial role]]" in [[British society]].<ref name="Olechnowicz">Andrzej Olechnowicz, ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=WNI_cx0J5qIC&pg=PA19#v=onepage&q&f=false The Monarchy and the British Nation, 1780 to the Present]'' ([[Cambridge University Press]], 2007), pp. 19-20.</ref> Peter Gordon and Dennis Lawton rated the education of [[Queen Victoria]] as good, "yet in contrast no subsequent monarch (or current heir) has been anywhere near adequately educated."<ref name="Olechnowicz"/> According to ''[[The Independent]]'', the modern royal family "is not known for its intellectualism".<ref name="i"/> Ross McKibbin argues that the educations of [[George V]], [[Edward VIII]], and [[George VI]] was equivalent to the educations of "[[landed gentry]] with military connections" and was generally narrow and aimless.<ref name="Olechnowicz"/>
Historians have "assessed how well royal education has prepared monarchs for their [[Monarchy of the United Kingdom|political and ceremonial role]]" in [[British society]].<ref name="Olechnowicz">Andrzej Olechnowicz, ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=WNI_cx0J5qIC&pg=PA19#v=onepage&q&f=false The Monarchy and the British Nation, 1780 to the Present]'' ([[Cambridge University Press]], 2007), pp. 19-20.</ref> Peter Gordon and Dennis Lawton rated the education of [[Queen Victoria]] as good, "yet in contrast no subsequent monarch (or current heir) has been anywhere near adequately educated."<ref name="Olechnowicz"/> According to ''[[The Independent]]'', the modern royal family "is not known for its intellectualism".<ref name="i"/> Ross McKibbin argues that the educations of [[George V]], [[Edward VIII]], and [[George VI]] was equivalent to the educations of "[[landed gentry]] with military connections" and was generally narrow and aimless.<ref name="Olechnowicz"/>
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George VI, the current Queen's father, attended the [[Osborne House|Royal Naval College Osborne]], then used as a junior officer training facility for students of secondary school age; he finished at the bottom of his class. He studied for one year at the University of Cambridge, but did not complete an undergraduate degree.<ref>{{cite book|last=Bradford|first=Sarah|title=King George VI|publisher=Weidenfeld and Nicolson|location=London|year=1989|isbn=0-297-79667-4}}</ref>
George VI, the current Queen's father, attended the [[Osborne House|Royal Naval College Osborne]], then used as a junior officer training facility for students of secondary school age; he finished at the bottom of his class. He studied for one year at the University of Cambridge, but did not complete an undergraduate degree.<ref>{{cite book|last=Bradford|first=Sarah|title=King George VI|publisher=Weidenfeld and Nicolson|location=London|year=1989|isbn=0-297-79667-4}}</ref>


The reigning queen, [[Elizabeth II]], and her sister Margaret were the last members of the royal family to be educated by tutors in the traditional manner.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Clarke|first1=M.J.|title=The Education of Royalty in the Eighteenth Century: George IV and William IV|journal=British Journal of Educational Studies|date=February 1978|volume=26|issue=1|pages=85–87}}</ref> She was "home-schooled in history by the [[Provost (education)|provost]] of [[Eton College|Eton]], and speaks French fluently."<ref name="i"/>
⚫
Queen Elizabeth's sons were educated at public schools. [[Charles, Prince of Wales|Prince Charles]] was educated at [[Gordonstoun]], a Scottish public school, and the [[University of Cambridge]]. Charles was the first heir to the throne to sit for public examinations (taking his GCE O-levels at age sixteen, passing six).<ref name="PrinceofWalesEduc">{{cite web|title=Education|url=http://www.princeofwales.gov.uk/the-prince-of-wales/biography/education|website=princeofwales.gov.uk|publisher=The Prince of Wales|accessdate=14 April 2016}}</ref> His graduation from Cambridge in 1970 marked the first time in British history that a British monarch or heir to the throne had completed a university degree.<ref name="PrinceofWalesEduc"/>


⚫
Queen Elizabeth chose to have her sons educated at public schools in order to give them broader views of the world. [[Charles, Prince of Wales|Prince Charles]] was educated at [[Gordonstoun]], a Scottish public school, and the [[University of Cambridge]]. Charles was the first heir to the throne to sit for public examinations (taking his GCE O-levels at age sixteen, passing six).<ref name="PrinceofWalesEduc">{{cite web|title=Education|url=http://www.princeofwales.gov.uk/the-prince-of-wales/biography/education|website=princeofwales.gov.uk|publisher=The Prince of Wales|accessdate=14 April 2016}}</ref> His graduation from Cambridge in 1970 marked the first time in British history that a British monarch or heir to the throne had completed a university degree.<ref name="PrinceofWalesEduc"/>
⚫
Prince Harry does not have a university degree.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Cowell|first1=Alan|title=Britain's Upper Crust Still Soldiers On|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2003/09/07/weekinreview/07COWE.html|newspaper=[[New York Times]]|date=7 September 2003}}</ref> [[Prince Andrew, Duke of York]]'s daughters, [[Princess Eugenie of York|Eugenie]] and [[Princess Beatrice of York|Beatrice]], were noted in 2008 as having earned the best grades so far in the Royal Family in their [[A-levels]], better than their father and uncle, and than their older cousins Harry and William.<ref name="i"/> Eugénie ranked first with her two As and a B in art, English literature, and history of art from [[Marlborough College]].<ref name="i"/>

In terms of the overall royal family (not just the heir to the throne), historian Rob Boddice notes that Charles was the third royal to gain a degree. Queen Victoria’s eighth child, the Prince [[Leopold (Duke of Albany)]] went to Christ Church, [[Oxford University. He was given an honorary Doctorate in Civil Law in 1876. Prince [[Richard, Duke of Gloucester]], earned a BA in Architecture from Magdalene, Cambridge in 1966.<ref name="manly">[http://beingmanly.blogspot.com/2011/04/how-many-british-royals-have-degree.html Rob Boddice, "How Many Royals Have a Degree?"], ''Being Manly'' blog, 30 April 2011, accessed 21 April 2016</ref>

⚫
Prince Harry does not have a university degree.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Cowell|first1=Alan|title=Britain's Upper Crust Still Soldiers On|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2003/09/07/weekinreview/07COWE.html|newspaper=[[New York Times]]|date=7 September 2003}}</ref> [[Prince Andrew, Duke of York]]'s daughters, [[Princess Eugenie of York|Eugenie]] and [[Princess Beatrice of York|Beatrice]], were noted in 2008 as having earned the best grades so far in the Royal Family in their [[A-levels]], better than their father and uncle, and than their older cousins Harry and William.<ref name="i"/> Eugénie ranked first with her two As and a B in art, English literature, and history of art from [[Marlborough College]].<ref name="i"/> Beatrice graduated in 2011 from Goldsmiths in London with a 2:1 in History and History of Ideas; Eugenie graduated in 2012 from Newcastle, with a 2:1 combined English Literature and History of Art BA Honours. She earned a First in her dissertation in the history of art.<ref name="english">[http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2168303/Princess-Eugenie-earns-2-1-degree-Newcastle-University.html#ixzz46Tg6kAj6 Rebecca English, "Eugen-ious! Degree joy for princess as she earns 2:1 from Newcastle University"], ''Daily Mail,'' 4 July 2012, accessed 21 April 2016</ref>


==Educational credentials==
==Educational credentials==

Revision as of 16:08, 21 April 2016

Royal family of
the United Kingdom and the
other Commonwealth realms
Badge of the House of Windsor

The Education of the British Royal Family is the method and extent of the education of the British Royal Family.

History

The circle of the humanist scholar Erasmus, who promoted the liberal arts and sciences over military training for princes, had an influence on the education of the future Henry VIII and later the Stuart princes.[1] Historian Aysha Pollnitz writes: "While Erasmus never managed to deter English or Scottish royal boys from military training, he did succeed in tipping the scales in letters' favor: between 1534 in England, 1566 in Scotland and the outbreak of the Bishops' Wars in 1639, princes male and female spent more time learning to wield pens than swords or guns."[2] During this period, "British princes were notably bookish" in comparison to the Spanish Hapsburgs (who emphasized "bureaucratic skills, handling weapons, and orthodox piety").[3] While female royals in early modern Britain were not raised in preparation to rule and received liberal educations that were constrained in comparison to their male relatives, Mary I, Elizabeth I, Lady Jane Grey, Mary, Queen of Scots, and Elizabeth Stuart, Queen of Bohemia all wrote letters generally praised by scholars.[4]

From the 18th to the mid-20th century, heirs to the British throne were educated in emulation of French royal custom. A governor and a preceptor were appointed for the child when it was of sufficient age, the former responsible for lessons concerning morality and the latter for lessons concerning academic subjects. During this period ideas about appropriate education for the royal family have also changed.[5]

Historians have "assessed how well royal education has prepared monarchs for their political and ceremonial role" in British society.[6] Peter Gordon and Dennis Lawton rated the education of Queen Victoria as good, "yet in contrast no subsequent monarch (or current heir) has been anywhere near adequately educated."[6] According to The Independent, the modern royal family "is not known for its intellectualism".[7] Ross McKibbin argues that the educations of George V, Edward VIII, and George VI was equivalent to the educations of "landed gentry with military connections" and was generally narrow and aimless.[6]

George VI, the current Queen's father, attended the Royal Naval College Osborne, then used as a junior officer training facility for students of secondary school age; he finished at the bottom of his class. He studied for one year at the University of Cambridge, but did not complete an undergraduate degree.[8]

The reigning queen, Elizabeth II, and her sister Margaret were the last members of the royal family to be educated by tutors in the traditional manner.[9] She was "home-schooled in history by the provost of Eton, and speaks French fluently."[7]

Queen Elizabeth chose to have her sons educated at public schools in order to give them broader views of the world. Prince Charles was educated at Gordonstoun, a Scottish public school, and the University of Cambridge. Charles was the first heir to the throne to sit for public examinations (taking his GCE O-levels at age sixteen, passing six).[10] His graduation from Cambridge in 1970 marked the first time in British history that a British monarch or heir to the throne had completed a university degree.[10]

In terms of the overall royal family (not just the heir to the throne), historian Rob Boddice notes that Charles was the third royal to gain a degree. Queen Victoria’s eighth child, the Prince Leopold (Duke of Albany) went to Christ Church, [[Oxford University. He was given an honorary Doctorate in Civil Law in 1876. Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester, earned a BA in Architecture from Magdalene, Cambridge in 1966.[11]

Prince Harry does not have a university degree.[12] Prince Andrew, Duke of York's daughters, Eugenie and Beatrice, were noted in 2008 as having earned the best grades so far in the Royal Family in their A-levels, better than their father and uncle, and than their older cousins Harry and William.[7] Eugénie ranked first with her two As and a B in art, English literature, and history of art from Marlborough College.[7] Beatrice graduated in 2011 from Goldsmiths in London with a 2:1 in History and History of Ideas; Eugenie graduated in 2012 from Newcastle, with a 2:1 combined English Literature and History of Art BA Honours. She earned a First in her dissertation in the history of art.[13]

Educational credentials

The following list summarizes the educational credentials of the first five adult members in the current line of succession to the British throne.

Name Secondary school Undergraduate university Notes

Queen Elizabeth 		none (educated by governess Marion Crawford and private tutors)[14] none

Charles, Prince of Wales 		Gordonstoun[10]
A-level grades:
B (history), C (French)[7] 		Bachelor of Arts – History
University of Cambridge[10]
Grade: 2:2

William, Duke of Cambridge 		Eton College[15]
A-level grades:
A (geography), B (art history), C (biology)[7] 		Master of Arts (Scotland) – Geography
University of St Andrews[15]
Grade: 2:1 		Also completed a 10-week certificate in agriculture at the University of Cambridge.[15]

Henry of Wales 		Eton College[16]
A-level grades:
B (art), D (geography) [7] 		none Also completed commissioning course at Royal Military Academy Sandhurst.[16]
File:Prince Andrew August 2014 (cropped).jpg
Andrew, Duke of York 		Gordonstoun[17] none Also completed commissioning course at Britannia Royal Naval College.[18]

Observers views and analysis

Edward VII

Edward VII was described by one of his tutors as having a "lack of power to grasp almost anything put before him".

King Edward VII, Queen Elizabeth's great-grandfather, briefly attended the University of Edinburgh, University of Oxford, and University of Cambridge, but did not graduate from any of them.[19] Dennis Judd, professor of British history at London Metropolitan University has opined that "there is no evidence" Edward's brief time at these universities "did much good" and William Ewart Gladstone said of the king that he "knew everything except what is in books".[19] John Neale Dalton, one of Edward's tutors, surmised of the future king that he had a "weakness of brain, this feebleness and lack of power to grasp almost anything put before him", while another tutor, J.K. Stephen, determined there was no use for Edward to attend university at all since he was unable to understand the words he was reading.[20] As a "tribute to his birth, rather than his intellect" he was granted an honorary LL.D.[20]

Elizabeth II

Historian David Starkey described Elizabeth II in 2007 in his series Monarchy as poorly learned, comparing her cultural refinement and intellectual curiosity to that of a "housewife".[21][22] According to The Telegraph, his comments prompted rebuttals from several sources: Penny Junor, royal biographer, said: "The Queen is certainly cultured even if not that moved by the arts. The Prince of Wales has a great sense of history and a lot of that comes from his mother."[22] Marco Houston, editor of Royalty Monthly Magazine, said that Elizabeth "may not have had the best formal education, but she has had the best education at the university of life".[23]

William, Duke of Cambridge

The decision by the University of Cambridge to admit William, Duke of Cambridge to a vocational course in agriculture management was criticized by some, who said his entry was a "free pass" and "insult" to other Cambridge students; however, others noted the vocationally-oriented course was open to anyone from the "posh set" and not just royalty.[24][25] Cambridge's student newspaper The Tab initially criticized William's admission, questioning whether his grades were sufficient to attend the university. Later its writer backtracked, noting that the course was a short vocational certification and that the university customarily admitted most applicants to it.[26][27]

Diana, Princess of Wales

Monica Ali and Princess Michael of Kent have both criticized Diana, Princess of Wales as "uneducated" while Diana's immediate family members frequently referred to her as "the thick one".[28][29][30] Diana repeatedly failed her O-level examinations (equivalent of a high school diploma in the United States[31]) and later dropped out of school.[32] John Lanchester, however, has rebutted criticism of Diana by saying that, while failure on Diana's scale would normally mean one was "astoundingly stupid", Diana had intentionally avoided academic pursuits as part of a master plan not to "put a royal suitor off".[33] (Diana's O-level exam notes were later discovered; in them she wrote about the "genious" [sic] of William Shakespeare and a philosopher she identified as "Aristocktile", but possibly meant Aristotle).[34]

Notes

  1. ^ Pollnitz, p. 10.
  2. ^ Pollnitz, p. 10.
  3. ^ Pollnitz, p. 10.
  4. ^ Pollnitz, pp. 199-202.
  5. ^ Peter Gordon, Denis Lawton, Royal Education: Past, Present, and Future, Psychology Press, 2003, pp. 12–13
  6. ^ a b c Andrzej Olechnowicz, The Monarchy and the British Nation, 1780 to the Present (Cambridge University Press, 2007), pp. 19-20.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g Guest, Katie (23 August 2008). "Top marks for Eugenie as her exam results break all royal records". The Independent. Retrieved 30 March 2016.
  8. ^ Bradford, Sarah (1989). King George VI. London: Weidenfeld and Nicolson. ISBN 0-297-79667-4.
  9. ^ Clarke, M.J. (February 1978). "The Education of Royalty in the Eighteenth Century: George IV and William IV". British Journal of Educational Studies. 26 (1): 85–87.
  10. ^ a b c d "Education". princeofwales.gov.uk. The Prince of Wales. Retrieved 14 April 2016.
  11. ^ Rob Boddice, "How Many Royals Have a Degree?", Being Manly blog, 30 April 2011, accessed 21 April 2016
  12. ^ Cowell, Alan (7 September 2003). "Britain's Upper Crust Still Soldiers On". New York Times.
  13. ^ Rebecca English, "Eugen-ious! Degree joy for princess as she earns 2:1 from Newcastle University", Daily Mail, 4 July 2012, accessed 21 April 2016
  14. ^ Kenneth J. Panton, Historical Dictionary of the British Monarchy (Scarecrow Press: 2011), p. 181.
  15. ^ a b c "Prince William". biography.com. Biography. Retrieved 30 March 2016.
  16. ^ a b "Prince Harry". biography.com. Biography. Retrieved 30 March 2016.
  17. ^ "Gordonstoun turns back clock to a golden age of cold showers (but would Prince Charles agree?) 22:52Monday 27 April 200901:27Tuesday 28 April 2009". The Scotsman. 27 April 2009. Retrieved 14 April 2016.
  18. ^ "Naval Career". thedukeofyork.org. The Duke of York. Retrieved 14 April 2016.
  19. ^ a b Judd, Dennis (2012). George VI. I.B.Tauris. pp. 46–47. ISBN 178076071X.
  20. ^ a b Hibbert, Christopher (2007). Edward VII: The Last Victorian King. Palgrave Macmillan. ISBN 9780230610750.
  21. ^ Edemariam, Aida (22 December 2007). "Queen is poorly educated and philistine, says Starkey". The Guardian. Retrieved 30 March 2016.
  22. ^ a b Sawer, Patrick (23 December 2007). "Historian David Starkey criticises the Queen". Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 14 April 2016.
  23. ^ Boztas, Senay (22 December 2007). "Starkey Dubs YouTube Queen an Uneducated Housewife". The Independent. Retrieved 14 April 2016.
  24. ^ Puente, Maria (3 January 2014). "Are Prince William's grades good enough for Cambridge?". USA Today. Retrieved 14 April 2016.
  25. ^ "Why Prince William is right to go back to school". CNN. 8 January 2014. Retrieved 14 April 2016.
  26. ^ "Cambridge student newspaper backtracks on Prince William criticism". ITV. 7 January 2014. Retrieved 14 April 2016.
  27. ^ Tatko-Peterson, Ann. "Prince William not smart enough for Cambridge University?". San Jose Mercury News. Retrieved 14 April 2016.
  28. ^ "Diana tapes: Princess thought she was 'thick.'". Hurriyet Daily News. Associated Press. 2 December 2004. Retrieved 15 April 2016.
  29. ^ Ali, Monica (30 March 2011). "Royal rebel: the legacy of Diana". The Guardian. Retrieved 15 April 2016.
  30. ^ Joshi, Priay (26 January 2014). "Princess Michael of Kent: Princess Diana was 'Uneducated' and Older Royals 'Boring'". Yahoo. International Business Times. Retrieved 15 April 2016.
  31. ^ "Equivalent Degrees". indiana.edu. Indiana University. Retrieved 20 April 2016.
  32. ^ "Famous high school dropouts". WLWT-TV. 18 September 2013. Retrieved 15 April 2016.
  33. ^ Lanchester, John (25 June 2007). "The Naked and the Dead". New Yorker. Retrieved 15 April 2016.
  34. ^ "Princess Diana's O-level notes dumped in rubbish". Times of India. Retrieved 15 April 2016.

References

  • Aysha Pollnitz, Princely Education in Early Modern Britain (Cambridge University Press, 2015).

Further reading

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