Here's What Prince William's Experience In College Was Really Like
College is an exciting time for many. From meeting new people, partying, and yes, taking classes now and then, it's a time when people truly discover who they are. But is it the same experience for a royal, especially a future king like Prince William?
From the moment he was born, Prince William had no sense of privacy. He was introduced to the public, like many of the royals before him, on the steps of St. Mary's Hospital in London on his birth date in June 1981. Fans cheered and roared for the future king of England and became obsessed with William's every move from then on. From his first press steps to taking on nursery school, people couldn't help but follow the life of Prince William. And as he grew up, people became even more curious about what the royal was up to, especially when it came to his college experience.
In 2001, after a gap year, Prince William decided to attend St. Andrew's University in Scotland. Upon starting his college career, William told the press, "I just want to go to university and have fun. I want to go there and be an ordinary student. I mean, I'm only going to university. It's not like I'm getting married — though that's what it feels like sometimes." Prince William attended university until 2005, and we're here to fill you in on the details of what his four years of college were like.
Prince William's privacy was a big concern in college
When Prince William went away to college, many worked hard to keep his schooling private. Going into university, William knew some might try to take advantage of him, but he was prepared to take on that situation. He told the press, "But people who try to take advantage of me and get a piece of me — I spot it quickly and soon go off them." And it helped that the university was on William's side.
Dr. Brian Lang, the university's Principal and Vice Chancellor at St. Andrew's University, revealed to Hello! that the school struck up a deal with the press. He disclosed they agreed to leave Prince William alone as long as the royal would have a "photo opportunity" once a semester. As for the student body at the university, Lang said he had no tolerance for any private matters leaking – for anyone. He shared, "One thing that I did as soon as we knew that William was going to be a student, was to warn the student body that we expected them to respect privacy of information. ... This was not just a privacy issue for William, but for his fellow students as well."
Still, it was unusual for students to see a royal at their university. However, after a while, the hype died down. Prince William told The Guardian, "Once they stopped trying to spy me at lectures then it was all very relaxed."
Prince William had fun in college
Adjusting to life in college was a bit tough for Prince William, but once he adapted to his new life he had a blast. The royal revealed to The Guardian that he would often blast music in his dorm. He dished, "I've got to have a stereo — got to have music, I love my music." And what was the future king of England playing? William loved listening to R&B.
Prince William also shared with the outlet that being in a dorm helped him create new friendships. He shared, "Living in a hall of residence for the first year was a good move. ... Immediately, you're all put together — a whole load of people in similar positions — and it was a lot of fun." And when he wasn't stuck on campus, Prince William loved to hit the pubs in town.
The royal's choice of drink when out on the town as a college student was reportedly sambuca shots and a drink called "Treasure Chest," described as "a combination of peach liquor, brandy, and champagne and is served in a wooden chest for £135 a pop," per Mirror. Lisa Ager, who ran into Prince William on one of his nights out, recalled the fun-filled memory to the outlet. She shared, "He was telling everyone that his name was Danny and he was from London and he often gets mistaken for William. ... We started dancing with them. He was dancing with bouncers and everyone."