Prince Harry has spoken openly about his difficult school years, particularly during his time at Eton College.

In a 2023 interview with journalist Anderson Cooper, the Duke of Sussex reflected on the challenges he faced adjusting to life at the elite boarding school, and how his relationship with his older brother, Prince William, added to those struggles. He recalled moments that left him feeling “hurt.”

Harry attended Eton from 1998 to 2003. As reported by Hello! magazine, he shared with Cooper that, upon his arrival, William instructed him to pretend they didn’t know each other. “At the time, it hurt. I couldn’t make sense of it.

I was like, ‘What do you mean? We’re now at the same school,’” Harry said. While he now recognizes that William’s behavior was typical of older siblings trying to assert independence, he admitted it felt deeply personal at the time.

In his memoir, Spare, Harry gave further insight into his school experience.

He described struggling to find where he fit in among Eton’s student groups.

He wrote about the social divisions at the school—those who played land sports like rugby and football were known as “dry bobs,” while those involved in rowing or swimming were called “wet bobs.” “I was a dry, who occasionally got wet,” he wrote. “I played every dry sport, though rugby captured my heart.”

While sports gave him some sense of belonging, Harry admitted they didn’t solve the deeper issue of feeling like an outsider. He used rugby to cope, saying, “I simply didn’t feel pain the way other boys did, which made me scary on a pitch.”

In contrast, William reportedly flourished at Eton. According to Town & Country magazine, he became the first senior royal to attend the school in Berkshire, breaking with tradition. Previous generations of royals, including King Charles and Prince Philip, had attended Gordonstoun in Scotland.

In 2023, Prince William and Princess Catherine were seen visiting Eton, sparking speculation that they may be considering the school for their eldest son, Prince George.

The college has long-standing ties to the royal family and British aristocracy. Princess Diana’s brother, Charles Spencer, and her father, John Spencer, both attended the school, as did Queen Elizabeth’s cousins—Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester; Prince Edward, Duke of Kent; and Prince Michael of Kent.

Despite his challenges at Eton, Harry has spoken fondly of his time at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, where he trained in 2006. In his Netflix documentary Harry & Meghan, he reflected on that period with appreciation, saying he was “grateful” to be “working and living with normal people” as a royal.