Before he was a global figure making headlines for his royal exit and Netflix deals, Prince Harry was just another teenager struggling through exams, dodging authority, and trying to find his place at one of Britain’s most elite schools.
Long before military duty and royal drama, Harry’s younger years at Eton College were far from smooth sailing—and his academic record told part of that story.
Struggling to Fit in at Eton
Even with a famous name and royal pedigree, Harry didn’t exactly blend in at Eton.
Despite the privilege of attending the £21,000-per-term boarding school, the young prince reportedly felt out of place from the start.
According to royal biographer Katie Nicholl, Harry found it tough to settle socially and academically.
He was constantly in the bottom sets and found schoolwork frustrating.
Rather than buckle down, Harry was more drawn to having fun.
That approach caught up with him when he failed two of his AS Levels, forcing Eton to insist he repeat a year.
Although he technically graduated with his class in 2003, he had to drop one of his chosen subjects—History of Art—due to his performance.
Prince of Parties, Not of Papers
While Prince Charles praised his son’s eventual results—a B in art and a D in geography—saying Harry had “worked hard,” Nicholl’s account suggests a more chaotic story.
Instead of hitting the books, Harry spent weeks before exams hanging out at Highgrove and sneaking off to the Royal Berkshire Polo Club.
Harry’s teenage years were also packed with pranks.
One of his more infamous stunts reportedly involved mooning, which actually triggered a royal security scare.
Unsurprisingly, the tabloids caught wind of his behavior, and soon his antics were splashed across front pages.
Even the growing media attention didn’t slow him down.
The Truth from Harry Himself
Harry didn’t sugarcoat his Eton experience in his memoir Spare.
He called his arrival at the school a “shock” and admitted he turned to cigarettes and marijuana while trying to cope.
He recounted smoking weed with classmates in a bathroom rotation system—some perched on the edge of the tub, others by the window, everyone taking turns.
These candid details shed light on a side of royal life that rarely makes it into public view: the pressure, the rebellion, and the complicated road toward adulthood.
From Bad Grades to Military Boots
Despite his poor academic record, Harry secured a place at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst.
It marked a major turning point. He completed his officer training and later served in Afghanistan—twice.
His first tour in 2007 ended prematurely when an Australian magazine accidentally broke a media embargo.
However, Harry returned in 2012 for a second deployment, this time as an Apache helicopter co-pilot gunner with the 662 Squadron, Army Air Corps.
His unit flew over 100 missions and logged more than 2,500 hours in Helmand province.
A Controversial Confession
In Spare, Harry revealed for the first time that he had killed 25 Taliban fighters during his second tour.
He wrote that modern warfare allowed him to keep an exact count, unlike soldiers in earlier wars.
He described the targets as “chess pieces removed from the board,” emphasizing that he didn’t view them as people at the time.
This admission sparked intense debate. While some viewed it as honest and brave, others criticized him for quantifying kills in a memoir.
Helicopter Missions and Ground Reality
During his 2012 tour, Harry’s team provided everything from surveillance and air support to close combat attack operations.
Based out of Camp Bastion, the unit supported Afghan and coalition forces.
Before deployment, Harry had gone through rigorous training and exercises to become a qualified Apache pilot, a title that earned him the nickname “Captain Wales.”
Despite his privileged upbringing, Harry had clearly found purpose in the military—a structured world far removed from his Eton days.
The Journey from Windsor to Warzones
Looking back, Prince Harry’s journey is nothing short of a contrast.
From flunking classes and lighting up with classmates under Windsor Bridge to operating deadly machinery in warzones, his early life was filled with unexpected turns.
For a royal born into the spotlight, Harry’s path has always been uniquely his own—messy, rebellious, and undeniably real.