Chancellor, I present to you for
the award of the degree of Doctor of Laws Honoris Causa
Her Royal Highness the Princess Royal.
Her Royal Highness began her public duties at the age
of 18 when her first engagement
was the opening of an educational and training centre
in 1969.
Since then, she has established significant
and ongoing relationships with charities
and organisations across the Commonwealth.
Her Royal Highness has made major contributions
to public life and sport over more
than four decades.
She is involved with more than 300 charities
in the UK and overseas, and she
devotes a large part of her working life
to official engagements in support of regional
and local institutions.
Much of her work has related to education
and Scottish-based charities.
Notably, she is patron of Medical Research
Scotland, which supports high quality
clinicians and scientists working
in Scotland's universities and
The Princess Royal has visited the University of Aberdeen
several times over a number of years, including
in her capacities as patron of the medical research
charity Tenovus Scotland,
patron of British universities and colleges sport
and founder of the Princess Royal Trust for Carers. In 2010.
she also formally opened the Suttie
Centre for Teaching and Learning and Health Care
at the university's Foresterhill campus.
Her Royal Highness is also a well-known sports woman
and horse rider who was a member of the British
eventing team for several years, and she
participated in the 1976
Montreal Olympic Games.
Although no longer competing, she remains
involved in sport and is now chair of
the International Olympic Committee Members
Election Commission, which plays an important
role in the Olympic agenda 2020.
Chancellor.
In recognition of her many years of outstanding
public service, support of many
educational and research based charities
and contributions to sport, it
is my great pleasure to invite you to confer
on Her Royal Highness, the Princess Royal.
The degree of Doctor of Laws Honoris Causa.
Your Royal Highness and Chancellor, Vice-Principal.
Chancellor. Ladies and gentlemen.
Well, it's a real honor for all
of us today to be granted
these awards, but particular thank you for the award
of this honorary doctorate.
To myself and to Professor
Janet Darbyshire and to the award to the Dennis
Law Legacy Foundation.
Professor Janet Dubuisson, I have
met before because not very surprisingly, her
interest area has been very
important to particularly organisations
like Save the Children, which I've been involved
in possibly for longer than almost any other charitable link,
apart for riding for the Disabled Association.
But those links have been really important, not least of all
the evidence-based clinical research that
she did, which the founder of the Save the Children
Eglantyne Jebb really felt was the
key to making a difference in people's lives.
So I'm particularly delighted that she's been awarded
here today as well.
The recognition here in Aberdeen, it is important
because of that link and because of the work that
they have been doing here for many years.
You mentioned opening the Suttie Centre for Teaching
and Learning in healthcare, which again was a step
forward and I think in the teaching process.
But many years ago, I came up funnily
enough to Peterhead to see one of the earliest
examples of telemedicine,
which was, of course, linked to the university here.
And I have since
reminded myself of that and wondered why I haven't
seen more telemedicine being practiced.
And it's also why under up a different chancellor's
headship that I've focused on
encouraging through the University of the Highlands and Islands.
It's hugely relevant here in Scotland as
it is in many countries around the world.
And that pioneering work was done.
A lot of that work was done here in Aberdeen.
Denis Law must be wondering what he's done to deserve it.
But he and I shared the front row and we sat together at
the recent sports personality
of the year here in Aberdeen.
But it's equally really nice
to see him being recognised.
And the organisation here based in in Aberdeen
for the impact it's had here.
There was no doubting the
fondness for him as an individual here in Aberdeen.
And this impact locally is
equally important.
And I'm delighted that he's also here today
to be recognised and indeed is the chairman
of the legacy fund to be
recognised for this very important
local link.
Sport is important in people's lives.
And I think that's particularly true here in in
university life.
Yes, people come here for academic
education, but they come here for a lot more than that.
Part of which is what we've been listening to, the
ability to join in things like choir and
musical groups of all sorts,
but also to practise sport of
many different varieties.
But the basis of sport needs
to be very close to home in schools
where you can gain access to it at its
earliest point in your life and
to be supported through that.
All of that work to raise that profile and make
it possible for people to help as volunteers
and as leaders to for
young people to gain
the additional knowledge and understanding through
working together, whether that's in music
or in sport or in other activities.
The importance of sharing a bit more of
your lives, of meeting together with other people.
To be able to debate
properly and to learn that degree
of tolerance about differences, which
is part of what university life
can help you do and broaden your perspectives.
The importance of other people's
perspectives.
One of the things that I've perhaps learnt most
from Save the Children is that wherever
you go in the world, there are some things which are really common
to humanity, and a lot of that is
around children and the ambitions that
parents have for their children
in terms of growing up as healthy individuals,
but also their access to education and training.
That remains an ambition
for people around the world.
It may be done slightly differently in different languages,
but that ambition is a shared ambition
and it is something we should all celebrate
and we can celebrate that very much today in
terms of what this university
in Aberdeen has been doing.
As we have been reminded for longer than
almost anybody else.
And let's face it.
Seniority in
age or the passage of time is certainly
worth celebrating when it reflects
excellence in achievement.
And that's not easy to do over five hundred twenty five years.
So that's well worth celebrating.
Your fellow universities, particularly here in Scotland,
have much to look up to and to try and emulate.
And all of us need to work
and preferably together to give that best possible
inspiration to those who study
and what you've been doing to help those who study here.
So can I add my congratulations to
this distinguished
and ancient university,
not just on growing old gracefully,
but remaining influential
and innovative while it does so,
we those of you who want it today
are delighted to be linked to your future. Thank you.