The Princess Royal awarded University of Exeter Honorary Degree
Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal has been awarded an Honorary Degree of Laws at a special ceremony at the University of Exeter.
The Princess Royal was recognised for her life-long dedication to public service. Her Royal Highness began undertaking royal engagements at the age of 18, and since that time has carried out more than 20,000, representing the British Crown in the UK and around the world.
The Princess Royal is also involved in more than 200 charities, notably Save the Children, St John Ambulance, and the charity she founded, The Princess Royal Trust for Carers.
Her Royal Highness was presented with the award at a bespoke ceremony at the University of Exeter’s St Luke’s Campus Chapel today (Friday May 8). The ceremony was attended by the University’s President and Vice-Chancellor, Professor Lisa Roberts, Lady Mireille and Sir Dennis Gillings, who are the University of Exeter Medical School’s most significant benefactors, and dignitaries, including the Lord Mayor of Exeter.
Professor Roberts said: “We’re deeply honoured to commend Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal with this highly deserved honorary degree. She has dedicated her life to public service, and her belief in the power of education, and her genuine desire to improve lives inspire our entire community. As a University with a strategic mission to have a positive impact on individuals and societies, we at Exeter are delighted to acknowledge her immense contribution over nearly six decades.”
The Princess Royal’s commitment to education is evidenced in her current role as Chancellor of the University of Edinburgh. She has a long association with the University of Exeter, where her son Peter Phillips graduated in Exercise and Sport Sciences in 2000. In 1984, The Princess Royal opened the University’s main library, and launched the Mining Engineering Degree Apprenticeship at the Penryn Campus in Cornwall in 2023.
During her visit to the St Luke’s Campus, The Princess Royal toured Public Health and Sports Sciences facilities, which host research and education activity that rank in the global top 20 in the QS Subject Rankings 2026. In a showcase tailored to Her Royal Highness’s equestrian interests, The Princess Royal learned about research to help rehabilitate horse riders who obtain injury, among other areas of activity.
The Princess Royal’s lifelong love of horses is another area in which she serves. Her Royal Highness competed in the 1976 Montreal Olympic Games, riding the Queen’s horse Goodwill in the equestrian three-day event. The Princess also competed in multiple European Three-Day Event Championships, winning a gold medal in the 1971 individual discipline and silver in both the individual and team disciplines in 1975.
The Princess Royal has held roles as President of the Federation Equestre Internationale from 1986-1994, and President of the Riding for the Disabled Association since 1985, ongoing today. She is also Honorary President of the British Olympic Association, and a member of the International Olympic Committee.
