Watched by a proud Royal Family, Prince William graduates |
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Thu, 23 Jun 2005 18:05
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Britain's Prince William has graduated from St Andrews University. The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh and the Prince’s father, the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall, graced the ceremony.
The 23-year-old graduated knelt in front of St Andrews’ Chancellor Sir Kenneth Dover to be “capped” in a traditional manner in what was a historic ceremony. Speaking to reporters after the ceremony, the second -in-line to the British throne said, "I just want to say a big thank you to everyone who has made my time here so enjoyable. I have been able to lead as 'normal' a student life as I could have hoped for and I'm very grateful to everyone, particularly the locals, who have helped make this happen."
He also singled out his grandmother and expressed his gratitude to her for having graced the occasion, "Today is a very special day for me and I am delighted that I can share it with my family, and in particular with my grandmother, who has made such an effort to come, having been under the weather," he said. The Prince secured a 2:1 in geography after four years studying for his Master of Arts degree. The Prince's girlfriend Kate Middleton, a history of art student, also graduated at the same ceremony.
Asked on what his future course of action would be, William said that he would be learning land management on a country estate during the summer. He will be traveling to New Zealand where he will meet the touring British and Irish Lions teams. He will also attend ceremonies in Wellington and Auckland in July to mark the anniversary of the end of World War II.
The Prince was looking forward to these events; "I very much hope that these work placements will give me hands-on experience in three very different but important areas. The work experience in the City was something I was particularly keen to do as I feel that this is an area in which I could learn a lot and it may well help me with charitable fund-raising in the future. The land management experience will hopefully allow me to develop skills and an understanding of how to best look after the countryside," he commented.
The Prince will also join a mountain rescue team after his summer break, "Joining a mountain rescue team really appealed to me as I can learn at first hand how these amazing people help save lives on a regular basis," he said.
References of interest: www.st-andrews.ac.uk - www.royal.gov.uk
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