Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall was at Chester Cathedral this afternoon (Friday, March 16) to receive an honorary Doctorate of Letters in recognition of her work as a literacy champion.
Former city MP and TV celebrity Gyles Brandreth, now Chancellor of the University of Chester, presented the award to Camilla, who is also the Countess of Chester.
Earlier she had waved to the crowds through the window of her limousine as she was driven into Abbey Square at the rear of the cathedral escorted by police motorcycle riders.
The weather gods must have been smiling down on her as what started off as a gloomy wet day turned into a bright and sunny afternoon in Chester city centre.
As she prepared to leave the ceremony, she was due to meet 10 Year 6 students from the University Church Free School (UCFS), based in Union Street, opposite Chester’s Grosvenor Park.
They presented her with a selection of their creative writing prepared in honour of the royal visit.
Each child wrote a piece of ‘flash fiction’ – very short stories, which, in this case, are no more than 75 words – using royal themes as their starting point such as this year’s royal wedding and the imminent arrival of Prince George and Princess Charlotte’s baby brother or sister.
HRH The Prince of Wales, Earl of Chester, received an Honorary Doctorate of Letters in 2007, when he last visited the university with the Countess, for his personal commitment and dedication to the Prince’s Trust and the promotion of its work and mission as the UK’s leading youth charity. He was not in attendance at today’s event.
But former top cop Sir Peter Fahy was present to received an honorary Doctor of Laws (LLD) in recognition of his ‘outstanding contribution’ in his role as Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police and previously Cheshire Constabulary.
The presence of royalty must have added excitement to the day for some of the 500 proud graduands who received their degrees on the same day.