The school where Prince Harry studied for the GCSEs he took this summer has topped the league table for GCSE results at private schools, raising speculation that he might have done well in his exams.

Students who took GCSEs at Eton College this year scored the equivalent of nearly nine starred A grades and one B.

All achieved at least five GCSEs between the grades A* and C.

Buckingham Palace has refused to say how Prince Harry got on in his exams, saying it is a private matter.

Top-performing

According to figures released by the Independent Schools Council (ISC), Eton was the top-performing private school for GCSEs, followed by Manchester Grammar, which was second.

Dulwich College in London was third and Oundle School in Peterborough was fourth.

The figures from the ISC suggest that 52% of all exam entries scored the top grades, compared with 51% in 2000.

The national average is 16% this year and 15.8% last year.

In the independent sector, one entry in five (21.6%) received the A* grade, up from 20.2% last year.

The national average is 4.9%, up from 4.6% in 2000.

The General Secretary of the Independent Schools Council, Alistair Cooke, was delighted with the results.

He said: "These results, following the success of ISC schools at A-level announced last week, show once again that the high academic reputation which our member schools enjoy is fully reflected in the national examination results".