Queen Camilla was presented with an Honorary Doctor of Literature by the Princess Royal at the University of London on Wednesday evening.
The Queen joined four eminent awardees in receiving an Honorary Doctorate from the University’s Chancellor, the Princess Royal, to mark the University of London’s Foundation Day.
Foundation Day, held each autumn in Senate House, marks the establishment of the University of London by Royal Charter in 1836.
Honorary degrees have been handed out at the ceremony since 1908, and recipients include King George V and Queen Mary.
Sir Winston Churchill, T S Eliot, and Dame Judi Dench have also received the degree.
On arrival at Senate House, the Queen and Princess Royal were welcomed by the Vice Chancellor of the University, Professor Wendy Thomson CBE, and the Chair of the Board of Trustees, Sir Mark Lowcock.
The Princess Royal inspected a Guard of Honour consisting of the University’s Officer Training Corps, Air Squadron and Royal Naval Unit members.
After greeting the Honorary Graduates, Honorary Fellows and University of London Board Members, the royals wore their ceremonial robes before proceeding into the hall for the ceremony.
Within the Hall, Princess Anne gave the Chancellor’s Welcome before the presentation of diplomas.
The Queen is strongly interested in highlighting the importance of literacy and has long been a supporter of it in the UK and across the Commonwealth.
The 77-year-old has visited schools, libraries, workplaces and prisons to see the work of adult literacy schemes.
Camilla is the Patron of several organisations that promote and support literacy, including the National Literacy Trust, First Story, Coram Beanstalk, and BookTrust.
The Queen’s Reading Room launched as an online book club on Instagram in January 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic, where she recommended books.
The club later transitioned to a charity promoting reading benefits in February 2023.
Princess Anne has served as Chancellor of the University of London since 1981 and is the 10th person to hold the post since the university’s foundation.
Before The Princess Royal, the late Queen Elizabeth held the role and served as Chancellor from 1955 to 1980.
