PRINCE WILLIAM is expected to make history twice today, by sharing an official carriage with the Duchess of Cornwall and by gaining an upper second-class honours degree from St Andrews University, which would make him Britain’s brainiest royal.

The Prince and his stepmother will share the first barouche, an 18th-century landau formerly used by the late Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, during Trooping the Colour. It will be their first official procession together. In addition, it is widely expected that he will be awarded a 2:1 for his four-year geography MA.

The Prince, whose mother, Diana, Princess of Wales, left school with a CSE in domestic science, will be able to access his degree result through a secure university website from 9am — before the official procession. He will be sent written confirmation on Monday morning. He has said in the past that he was on track to get an upper second. It is understood that he learnt last week that his course work had been graded 2:1 and that his final result would depend on his dissertation and exams.

The Prince, 22, who is second in line to the throne, initially struggled to settle at St Andrews. At one point he even considered dropping out, but was persuaded to stay by his father. After switching courses from history of art to geography, he began to enjoy life as an undergraduate in the picturesque coastal town of Fife. For some of his four years at St Andrews he shared a house with Kate Middleton, his girlfriend. His father, the Prince of Wales, left Gordonstoun School, near Elgin, with six O levels and two A levels and was the first British heir to the throne to attend university.

With the exception of his own father, who also attended Gordonstoun, all royals before Charles, including his mother, the Queen, were taught at home by governesses.

Prince Charles left Trinity College, Cambridge, with a second-class degree (2:2) in history. Like his son, he also swapped courses, having initially chosen to study archaeology and anthropology.

Prince William’s uncle, the Earl of Wessex, also left Cambridge with a second-class degree, in history, from Jesus College. The Duke of York chose a military career over an academic one and spent 22 years in the Royal Navy.

Prince Harry appears to be following in his uncle’s footsteps, having recently scraped into Sandhurst with the minimum entrance requirement of two A levels.

Prince William had seven lectures a week in his final year and wrote his 10,000-word dissertation on the coral reefs of Rodrigues Island in the Indian Ocean. He will graduate on June 23, after which he is expected to travel to New Zealand to represent the Royal Family during the Lions rugby tour. While there he will represent the Queen at wreath-laying ceremonies to commemorate the end of the Second World War.

• Prince Harry was twice given a dressing down at Sandhurst this week. The first time he failed to stand up when senior officers walked past. Then on Thursday he was admonished while on the drill square practising for the “passing off the square” parade

  ROYAL RESULTS

• Prince Harry gained 11 GCSEs and two A levels

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