Queen Camilla meets Scottish Premiership footballer and students in university visit
The Queen has met a top Scottish Premiership footballer, alongside students and a composer, during a visit to a Scots university.
Today, Queen Camilla visited the University of Aberdeen, of which she was installed as chancellor of in 2013. As part of the visit, she greeted those involved in community-building initiatives supported by the university in their Sir Duncan Rice library.
As part of this she was introduced to supporters and volunteers of the Aberdeen Football Club Community Trust (AFCCT), which works across schools in the city to tackle the impact of child poverty, reduce social isolation and improve mental wellbeing.
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This included Camilla meeting Aberdeen FC defender Angus McDonald, who is involved in the AFCCT. He described meeting the Queen as a “very amazing experience” and said it ranked in his “top three” moments during his time at the club.
He said: “It’s more about the kids with the amazing work that they’ve done for the community and the Community Trust. But it was a real honour and a real privilege to meet her today.
“It’s such an amazing recognition for everyone in the trust. The work they put in, the hours they put in, is amazing. It shows it doesn’t go unnoticed. They’ve got some amazing people and some amazing kids doing some great work for the community.”
He also related a joke he had exchanged with the Queen during their conversation. He added: “She said as long as you’re enjoying your time, hopefully you can stay up here. And I said, ‘well, maybe you can put a good word in’. Whether that will happen or not we will see.”
Other community building initiatives which she visited included students and staff on the university’s online PGDE primary education course, which is aimed at widening access to teaching qualifications. Speaking after the visit, Alyson Young, programme director of the PGDE course, said she hoped the visit would have a “really positive impact” on the profile of the programme.
“It’s great to have somebody interested in it because I think up here in the north-east, sometimes – we’re not in the central belt – it can be a little bit forgotten about,” she said. “So, having Her Majesty come along and actually show real interest and want to know more about the programme allows us to get it out.
“Our students are our best adverts for it, because they’re so positive and enthusiastic about the programme.”
Julie Smith, one of the students on the programme, described meeting the Queen as “phenomenal”. She said: “It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. We didn’t know who we were meeting until we came today. She just put us at ease. She was very interested in what we were doing, asking us how long been on the course, what we’ve been learning.”
The members of the Savy Students Club were the next to meet the Queen after those in the PGDE. The group teaches students how to cook healthy and nutritious meals while taking into account the pressing financial challenges faced by many today.
The visit was rounded off with a moving performance of Professor Paul Mealor’s arrangement of Robert Burns’ Ae Fond Kiss, sung by the university’s chapel choir. Prof Mealor has composed music for royal occasions including new pieces for the coronation at Westminster Abbey and the national service of thanksgiving and dedication at St Giles’ Cathedral in Edinburgh.
University of Aberdeen vice-chancellor & principal Professor George Boyne added: “Queen Camilla has travelled to campus on numerous occasions over the years and I know she takes great interest in the world-class education and research carried out here – much of which is in areas close to her heart such as health and wellbeing, literacy, heritage and the arts, to name but a few.
“As well as taking time to meet staff, it’s a great opportunity for students and local young people to speak directly to Her Majesty and share their experiences with her.”
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