Over five million teenagers are collecting their grades today as GCSE results for 2026 are announced. GCSE results will be published from 8am on Thursday (August 20). Students will usually receive their results in one of four ways: collection in person from school, email, an online results portal, or through a dedicated results app.
The old A* - G GCSE grading system was replaced by a 9-1 grading scale, with 9 being the highest grade and 1 being the lowest. Fully implemented in 2020, the change was intended to make it easier for sixth forms, universities and employers to distinguish between candidates.
Members of the Royal family have had a mixed bag of results over the years, with some excelling in their exams and others earning few or even no qualifications at all.
Prince William and Prince Harry
The Prince of Wales was educated at independent schools and attended Eton College in 1995. Prior to this, William spent five years at Ludgrove Prep School in Berkshire. He managed to earn an impressive 12 GCSEs, though it is not known exactly what grades he received. By 2000, he had picked up fairly mixed results at A Level with an A in geography, a B in art and a C in biology. Straight out of Eton, William went on a gap year, where he took part in army training in Belize and visited Africa. The following year, William went on to study History of Art at St Andrews University in Scotland, later changing course to geography. He achieved an upper second class honours in 2005.
Like his older brother, Prince Harry also attended Eton for his studies. He received 11 GCSEs, just one less than the future king. When it came time for his A-Levels in 2003, Harry achieved two passes with a B in art and a D in geography. Having excelled in sports, Harry decided against university studies, pursuing a successful career in the army instead. Harry also took on a gap year where he travelled across the country to Australia, Africa and Argentina.
Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle
Catherine 'Kate' Middleton enrolled at an independent boarding school in Wiltshire. She gained 11 GCSEs before going on to achieve As in Maths and Art and a B in English for her A-Levels. She also took a year out for travelling, undertaking a Raleigh International programme in Chile. In 2003 she attended St Andrews University and graduated in the same year as her future husband, with a 2:1 in History of Art.
With Meghan being American, she did not take any GCSEs due to the difference in education system. The Duchess of Sussex grew up in Hollywood and was privately educated, studying secondary education at Immaculate Heart High School. It has not been reported what Meghan got on her SATs, but it is known that she got the grades she needed to get into university. She went on to gain a double major in Theatre and International Relations at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois in 2003. While attending university, Meghan completed an internship at the US Embassy in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where she learned to speak Spanish. She also studied French for six years.
Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie
Both of the York sisters did well in the GCSEs. However, it was Eugenie who got the better results of the pair. Beatrice got nine GCSEs including two A*s when she took her exams. Her best grades were in history and drama, and she also achieved As in French and Art with Bs in everything else. Eugenie scored two A*s, four As and three Bs at the private Marlborough College in Wiltshire. Eugenie also performed better in her A-Levels, picking up two As in art and English Literature, and a B in history of art. Beatrice received an A in drama and Bs in history and film studies. Beatrice went on to get a 2:1 from Goldsmith's in History of Ideas as Eugenie studied English Literature, History of Art and Politics at Newcastle and graduated at the end of her three-year course in 2012 with a 2:1.
King Charles, Queen Camilla and Queen Elizabeth II
It is widely reported that King Charles really struggled at school and disliked his time there. His parents, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, sent their children to strict Scottish boarding school Gordonstoun. He left with five O levels (which is what GCSEs were formerly known as) and two A-Levels - a B in History and a C in French. He then went on to Cambridge University where he achieved a 2:2 degree in History.
Queen Camilla attended Dumbrells, a co-educational school in Ditchling, East Sussex, from the age of five. She then attended Queen's Gate School in London from 10 years old, where she eventually left with just one O level in 1964. According to reports, Camilla's parents did not make her stay long enough for A-Levels. When she was 16, she attended the Mon Fertile finishing school in Tolochenaz, Switzerland, going on to study French and French literature at the University of London Institute in Paris for six months.
While the late Queen had no formal education in her early childhood, she was taught by a governess from 9.30am until 11am. Following the abdication of her uncle Edward VIII in 1938, she needed to prepare herself for her future role. To do this, she received lessons on constitutional history from the vice provost of Eton, Henry Marten. However her lack of exam results was never an issue, and she travelled the world and met hundreds of world leaders with no trouble at all. She was also fluent in French and a skilled horse rider.
While her sons went on to receive strong GCSEs, their late mother Diana actually failed her exams. She took O levels in place of GCSEs but failed twice. Similarly to Camilla, she also attended a finishing school in Switzerland. Afterwards, she returned to London, took a cooking course and worked different jobs including a nanny and a youth dance instructor.
