Prince William gains a 2:1 degree

Prince William could become Britain's brainiest ever monarch. The Prince, who turns 23 later this month, has gained a 2:1 in his geography MA degree at St Andrews University, Clarence House announced yesterday.

He obtained his result from the university's website, before joining his new stepmother, the Duchess of Cornwall, at the Trooping the Colour.

William is not the first royal to gain a good degree. Prince Richard of Gloucester, son of the Queen's uncle, read architecture at Magdalene College, Cambridge, and obtained a diploma in architecture in 1969.

But the young Prince's achievements are in stark contrast to the academic records of his immediate family. While William was accepted by St Andrews on the strength of his A-level grades - an A, a B and a C - his father, Prince Charles, went up to Trinity College, Cambridge, despite only getting a C in French and a B in history. The heir to the throne went on to achieve a lower second-class degree. William's uncle, Prince Edward, also earned a 2:2 from Cambridge.