Camilla, The Duchess of Cornwall
The Duchess of Cornwall has become the first ever female chancellor of Aberdeen University.
British royal Camilla - the wife of heir to the throne Prince Charles - attended a formal ceremony at the educational institute on Monday (10.06.13) to officially accept the post.
As well as being the first woman to receive the title she is also the only member of the royal family to be bestowed the role.
Upon accepting the position, the 65-year-old duchess said: "My father's family, the Shands, hail from north-east Scotland, from Banff in fact. So this city is central to my Scottish heritage and has taken on an even greater importance now, because whenever I come to Scotland which, I'm happy to say, is frequently, it is in Aberdeen that my visit always begins. It is what I like to call my home port."
Camilla - who never attended university and left school aged 16 - also vowed to continue the university's work to help those who are illiterate in the country, saying: "I hope very much to be able to encourage work done by the university to reduce illiteracy, an unimaginable handicap to those of us who take our ability to read and write for granted."
Before officially accepting the position - which dates back to 1860 and has been held by two former Prime Ministers and 11 people in total including the royal - Camilla was first awarded an honorary degree of Doctor of Laws by Principle and Vice Chancellor Ian Diamond.
Colin Duncan, convener of the business committee of the university's General Council, then introduced the royal and formally awarded her the chancellorship.
Camilla, known as the Duchess of Rothesay in Scotland, then made a declaration of fealty to the university in Latin - which she revealed Charles had helped her with - and was dressed in gold and black robes.
In her first act as chancellor she then presented six honorary degrees to representatives of the arts, law, medicine and sport, which included
Scottish Paralympic gold medalist Neil Fachie and Oscar-winning screenwriter Sir Ronald Harwood.
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