James, Earl of Wessex, begins studies at Royal Agricultural University

James, the Earl of Wessex, has begun his studies at the Royal Agricultural University (RAU) in Cirencester. The 18-year-old, son of the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, will pursue a degree in rural land and property management.

As part of the university's traditions, the Earl joined approximately 250 other students in a freshers' procession through the historic streets of Cirencester. The students wore academic gowns and participated in a matriculation ceremony at St John Baptist Parish Church. The RAU is one of only four UK universities, alongside Oxford, Cambridge, and Durham, that maintains such a procession.

Professor Peter McCaffery, the university's vice chancellor, described the event as a “rite of passage” intended to help students settle into their new environment and meet their peers. The procession concluded with a lunch to facilitate social connections among the new cohort.