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King Charles leads Queen Camilla and Princess Anne in largest gathering of royals since Andrew’s arrest at ceremony to have a good time work by British universities and faculties

King Charles today led the largest gathering of royals since the arrest of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.

His Majesty was accompanied by his wife Queen Camilla, his sister Princess Anne, and cousins the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester as he handed out awards at St James’s Palace in London.

Prince Edward was also due to attend but was forced to pull out due to illness. 

Following his brother Andrew’s arrest last week by police investigating allegations of misconduct in public office relating to his time working as UK special trade envoy -during which time it has been claimed he passed official and classified documents to his friend Jeffrey Epstein – Charles expressed his ‘deepest concern’ at events and offered his full support and cooperation to police.

He also pledged that ‘my family and I will continue in our duty and service to you all’.

Today he was handing out the Queen Elizabeth Prizes for Higher and Further Education in recognition of outstanding work at UK universities and colleges.

The ceremony saw 19 universities and colleges recognised for their innovation and excellence across a range of subject areas, from a centre tackling sustainability in the textile industry, to a partnership providing higher education in prisons and groundbreaking research into Paralympic performance.

King Charles today led the largest gathering of royals since the arrest of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor

King Charles today led the largest gathering of royals since the arrest of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor

Charles wore a navy suit and light blue tie to the occasion today

Charles wore a navy suit and light blue tie to the occasion today 

The Princess Royal attended the presentation ceremony in her capacity as chancellor of the University of Edinburgh, which received an award for research and education by its Centre for Fire Safety Engineering.

It was notable that three out of four of the late Queen’s children were due to be present, the absentee being Andrew, who hasn’t been a working royal since he was stripped of duties by his mother back in November 2019 following his disastrous Newsnight interview.

Following the presentations, the royals will meet recipients at a reception to hear more about their award-winning work.

The Queen Elizabeth Prizes for Higher and Further Education are part of the UK national honours system, recognising at the highest level of state outstanding work in universities and colleges.

First awarded by the late Queen in 1995 and now in their 16th round, the prizes are granted every two years on the advice of the Prime Minister following a rigorous review process managed by the Royal Anniversary Trust, an independent charity.

Queen Elizabeth Prizes for Higher and Further Education – the winners

The University of Edinburgh

A world-first Centre for Fire Safety Engineering, conducting internationally significant research and advanced education and training to underpin fire safety design, policy, regulation and innovation throughout the world in both the built and natural environments.

Gateshead College

A unique employer-led programme that has transformed apprenticeships in the built environment sector, including expansion into Canada, by tackling skills gaps to create a multi-skilled, adaptable workforce, with further expansion into other sectors underway across the UK.

Hull College

A globally recognised English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) programme using AI-powered digital storytelling, real-time translation, and trauma-informed teaching to transform language learning, boost employability and social integration for learners, setting a new benchmark for inclusive education.

The Institute of Cancer Research, London

Groundbreaking research in radiotherapy, developing advanced treatment technologies, innovative strategies, and radiation-drug combination therapies that improve cancer treatment effectiveness, reduce side effects, and enhance patient outcomes globally.

Lancaster University

Creation and development of core technology for the micro:bit, a pocket-sized programmable computer that’s driving a global transformation in digital literacy and has empowered 66 million children in 85 countries to become coders and technology creators.

University of Leeds

An internationally-leading centre exploring new materials, processes and products, the Leeds Institute of Textiles and Colour combines multi-disciplinary expertise in design, science and technology to address the global challenge of sustainability and demand for innovation across textile, colour and related industries.

Leeds Beckett University

A bespoke prison education model founded on an innovative educational alliance between the university and a maximum security prison, offering higher education and post-graduate study to both prisoners and staff, producing outstanding academic results.

Liverpool John Moores University

Pioneering craniofacial analysis in the forensic and digital heritage field, combining interdisciplinary education, research and knowledge exchange at the interface of art and science with a focus on individual and population facial identity, depiction and identification.

London Metropolitan University

A world-leading research unit dedicated to ending violence against women and girls nationally and internationally through cutting-edge interdisciplinary research, policy intervention, criminal justice reform and improved support for survivors.

Loughborough University

A pioneering partnership with ParalympicsGB generating world-class research, enhancing the performance of athletes at the Paralympics, informing practice in elite Para sport and improving the quality of life and health outcomes for disabled people worldwide through sports provision.

Newcastle University

Leading internationally significant, advanced research into the causes, diagnosis, treatment, and management of Dementia with Lewy Bodies over three decades, playing a pivotal role in establishing it as a major and distinct cause of late-life dementia.

North Warwickshire and South Leicestershire College

A dynamic partnership between further and higher education and local industry to develop and provide training in emerging technologies via a central hub, meeting the demand for new skills in green technologies and autonomous vehicles of the future.

North West Regional College

Creation of a large-scale business support hub with five industry-focussed innovation centres targeting local entrepreneurs and helping 400+ businesses in the region each year on the journey from prototype and product development through applied research, skills, and workforce development.

University of Nottingham

A pioneering programme using satellite data to map and measure modern slavery from space, accelerating interventions in multiple countries, shaping strategies and operations for governments, businesses and NGOs, and leading to the liberation of thousands of people from slavery.

University of Oxford

A globally impactful data analysis platform, OpenSAFELY uses new methods to access the entire England population’s NHS GP records for the first time, meeting complex privacy challenges to enable life-saving research by unlocking and protecting a goldmine of data.

Royal College of Music

The Centre for Performance Science is shaping the future of music education through world-leading applied performance science, advanced by interdisciplinary research spanning the arts, medicine, engineering, natural sciences and business and informed by outstanding teaching and knowledge exchange.

University of Salford

Reflecting the University’s commitment to improving the environment and sustainability, Energy House Labs’ unique testing facilities deliver critical research that helps millions to save money on energy bills, accelerates progress towards net zero housing design and tackles fuel poverty.

Scotland’s Rural College

Informing and shaping agricultural policy for over 80 years through rigorous, economic analysis using data gathered and curated from the ground-breaking Scottish Farm Business Survey (SFBS), enabling advanced, predictive modelling and offering a scalable, transferable model for other nations.

University of Southampton

Leading research into the sustainability, resilience and cost-effectiveness of the UK’s rail system, resulting in new industry design guidelines and standards, influencing engineering practice globally and delivering significant cost savings.