A student newspaper editor who questioned whether Prince William had high enough grades to enrol on a university course has backtracked on his criticism.

The Duke of Cambridge has recently started a ten-week Agricultural Management course at Cambridge University’s School of Technology, to help him prepare for running the Duchy of Cornwall when Prince Charles becomes King.

But Will Heilpern, editor of Cambridge student newspaper The Tab, raised the issue in his blog describing Prince William’s A-level grades as mediocre.

“The ‘bespoke’ course has been designed to ready the Prince for his future role in charge of the Duchy of Cornwall, which he will inherit when his father Chaz becomes King,” he wrote on The Tab website.

“The Tab must point out that normally students need A*AA at A-level to gain entry to Cambridge University, whilst the Prince only achieved a mediocre ABC.

“Conveniently though for Will, his father is the registered benefactor of the department he will be studying at.”

Will Heilpern speaking on ITV's Daybreak

However, speaking on ITV’s Daybreak programme, Will accepts that the Prince’s enrolment is fair.

“It seemed really unfair that Prince William was coming in to do a degree,” he said.

“However, when you actually looks at what he’s doing, he’s doing a course which is aimed at Boards of Directors and Business Executives so it’s not really relevant to compare the grades.

“I was more doing that in a tongue in cheek, jokey manner.”