Tom Hiddleston and Eddie Redmayne Share What it Was Like to Attend Eton College With Prince William
Acclaimed as the best boys school in the world, Eton College boasts an impressive list of former students, from royalty and government officials all the way to Hollywood. Some of the most notable Eton alumni include Prince William, Oscar-Award winner Eddie Redmayne and Tom Hiddleston.
Redmayne and the Duke of Cornwall attended Eton College together and were friends during their time at the school. Like many who have had a first-hand encounter with members of the royal family, Redmayne had a lot to say about his time at Eton with the prince, who is now first in line to the throne.
Eton College is the most distinguished boys school in the world
Formerly known as just Eton, Eton College is a public all-boys boarding school located in Berkshire, England. The school was founded by King Henry VI in the 14th century and only admitted 70 qualified students (known as King’s Scholars) via a scholarship funded by the king.
While the school expanded to accommodate over 1200 students, the founding tradition continued with the naming of 14 King’s Scholars each year, which totals to 70 students according to Britannica. The rest of the students, known as Oppidans, have for centuries come from England’s elite, retaining the Eton’s reputation as the most prestigious school in the whole of Europe.
Former Eton alumni have gone on to achieve great success in politics, business, and others have become Hollywood household names. Most notable former Eton students include Prince William and his brother Harry the Duke of Sussex, Billions star Damian Lewis, actor and producer Dominic West, Tom Hiddleston and Eddie Redmayne to name a few.
Eddie Redmayne felt sorry for Prince William during their time at Eton
Eddie Redmayne attended Eton College at the same time as Prince William, and the pair were both part of The Eton Society and played for the school rugby team together. Speaking of his time with the prince at Eton, Redmayne revealed that he often felt sorry for the prince because he took all the hits when they were playing rugby together.
“I always felt a bit sorry for him because basically any school you played, all they wanted to do was tackle Prince William, and they could say, I tackled Prince William,” said the Fantastic Beasts star. According to Hola, Redmayne and the future King lost touch after school, as they went on to pursue different interests in different colleges. Even so, he still recounts the former Prince of Wales as being a lovely man from their time at Eton.
Even though he was the target of attacks at the rugby field, Prince William was a popular student at Eton who seemed to fit in better than his brother Harry. The crown prince thrived at Eton, especially since it’s a boarding school, which gave him the opportunity to get away from the problems at home and his mother’s emotional issues following his parents’ separation.
Tom Hiddleston had a very rough time at Eton
For a pillar of prestige, it seems that Eton College was not all that kind to all students. And much like most high schools around the world, some of the students were bullied, and more surprising is that Tom Hiddleston was one of them.
The Golden Globe Award winner revealed at the Graham Norton Show that he was picked on at school for his peculiar last name. They dubbed him Piddle and made a rhyme in mockery in Hiddleston, “Hiddle Piddle did a widdle in the middle of the night” which was quite embarrassing.
Hiddleston, who also attended Eton in Prince William’s time, spoke well of the royal. Although the pair were not particularly close friends at school, they would sometimes talk in passing. Speaking of their friendship, The Avengers star said, “I Think Prince William is very busy today, and he has more important things to do than to hang out with me! But sometimes I see him at film premieres, it’s nice.”
