Queen Camilla Wears Ceremonial Robe as She Receives Honorary Doctorate from Sister-in-Law Princess Anne!
Queen Camilla already carries an impressive title before her first name — and she’s now added one more.
The Queen, 77, was presented with an honorary doctorate of literature by none other than her sister-in-law, Princess Anne, at the University of London on Wednesday, Nov. 20. Camilla was one of four given the honor on the University of London’s Foundation Day, marking the university’s establishment by Royal Charter in 1836.
Honorary degrees have been conferred as part of the ceremony since 1908, and the Queen isn’t the first royal to receive the honor — King George V and Queen Mary also received honorary doctorates when they were Prince and Princess of Wales. In addition to royals, notables like Sir Winston Churchill; poet, essayist and playwright T.S. Eliot; and Dame Judi Dench have also been honored in this manner.
Queen Camilla is being given her honorary doctorate for her promotion of literacy and literature over many years, according to Buckingham Palace. An avid reader herself, the Queen has a strong interest in highlighting the importance of literacy and has long been a supporter of literacy in the U.K. and across the Commonwealth, the palace added, visiting schools, libraries, workplaces and even prisons to see literacy at work.
Camilla has been patron of organizations that promote and support literacy for years, including the National Literary Trust, First Story, Coram Beanstalk and BookTrust. She launched The Queen’s Reading Room as an online book club on Instagram in January 2021, which eventually became a charity that promotes the benefits of reading in February 2023.
In addition to presenting Queen Camilla and four others with their honorary doctorates — in ceremonial robes, no less! — the Princess Royal, 74, will, as Chancellor of the University of London, inspect a Guard of Honor consisting of members of the University’s Officer Training Corps, Air Squadron and Royal Naval Unit. Princess Anne has served as Chancellor of the University of London since 1981 and is the tenth person to hold the position since the university was founded 188 years ago.
Prior to Princess Anne taking the royal over, it was held by the Queen Mother, who served as Chancellor from 1955 to 1980, according to the palace.
Queen Camilla’s latest honor is a piece of good news for her following a rough month — she fell ill with a chest infection in early November, forcing her to miss out on joining the royal family for Remembrance events, and her beloved dog Beth died this past weekend, as PEOPLE understands she was put down humanely after discovering she had an untreatable tumor.