HRH Prince William of Wales to launch University’s 600th Anniversary Appeal

Monday 14 February 2011

St Andrews alumnus Prince William, accompanied by alumna Catherine Middleton, will return to the University of St Andrews to launch its 600th Anniversary Appeal later this month (Friday 25 February 2011).

Prince William and Catherine Middleton engagement photo call at St James' Palace.

The official visit will be Prince William’s first in his role as Patron of the 600th Anniversary Appeal and the couple’s first official engagement in Scotland.

The University of St Andrews 600th Anniversary will span three calendar years from 2011 to 2013. It will mark the formal charter granted by Bishop Henry Wardlaw in February 1411 and the achievement of full university status conferred by Pope Benedict XIII by Papal Bull in 1413.

Prince William and Miss Middleton will attend a reception and view the surviving Papal Bull. They will then go to the historic St Salvator’s Quadrangle, where they will meet students and staff and unveil a plaque to mark the launch of the 600th Anniversary.

Further details of the visit to St Andrews are expected to be confirmed in due course.

In celebrating its past, St Andrews is aiming to bolster its future, using the 600th Anniversary as a springboard to launch a £100m philanthropic fundraising appeal. The Appeal will lay the foundations for a seventh century of exploration and allow the University to continue to invest in people, ideas and excellence.

A substantial focus of the Appeal will be to generate new funds for scholarships, to ensure that a St Andrews education is accessible to all bright students, regardless of background or circumstance.

Welcoming the announcement of the visit, St Andrews Principal and Vice-Chancellor Professor Louise Richardson, said: “I am delighted that Prince William has agreed to be Patron of our 600th Anniversary Appeal. Anniversaries are a time for reflection, for celebration and for action. St Andrews has much to celebrate and so much still to achieve.

“We are Scotland’s first university, among Europe’s most research-intensive institutions and one of the world’s top 20 Arts and Humanities universities.

“Our anniversary offers a wonderful opportunity to join with our alumni and friends to ensure we have the resources to continue a tradition of academic excellence.

“We hope that Prince William and Miss Middleton are the first among many who will reconnect with St Andrews and join in the celebrations.”

Prince William and Miss Middleton first met at the University of St Andrews and both graduated in 2005. Prince William graduated with an honours degree in Geography and Miss Middleton with an honours degree in History of Art.


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