Prince William to become a full-time student

The Duke of Cambridge is expected to live in Cambridge part of the time during his studies and will have accommodation within the city.

But he will continue to carry out a number of royal engagements over the coming months.

The Duke of Cambridge's course will involve 18 to 20 hours of lectures, seminars and meetings a week as well as essay assignments and field trips.

The bespoke course is run by the Cambridge Programme for Sustainability Leadership, an institution within Cambridge University's School of Technology, which has the Prince of Wales as its patron.

It is expected to give him a grounding for his future role running the Duchy of Cornwall, a portfolio of land, property and investments he will inherit from his father.

The programme does not lead to a formal qualification but is thought to feature continual assessment.

A Kensington Palace spokesman said that Prince William is "very much looking forward to" becoming a full-time student again. A statement said:

The Duke of Cambridge is to become a full-time student studying agricultural management for 10 weeks, Kensington Palace has said.

William will learn about the issues facing the UK's rural communities and the farming industry during the course, based at Cambridge University, which begins next week.