Prince William and Kate Middleton: Royal couple return 'home' to St Andrews

Published on Friday 25 February 2011 17:22

IT WAS a university reunion to remember. Thousands of people lined the streets of historic St Andrews as Prince William and his fiancée, Kate Middleton, made their first formal royal visit to the Fife town where they first met as students ten years ago.

The prince told 600 staff and students selected to attend an event in St Salvator's quadrangle that the couple's return to St Andrews felt "like coming home", winning a loud cheer from the crowds outside on North Street, where the speech was being broadcast to the public through loudspeakers.

Well-wishers began to gather from 7am outside St Salvator's Chapel, where the royal couple were due to appear after launching a fundraising drive to mark the University of St Andrews' 600th anniversary.

The quadrangle, where the prince unveiled a plaque to launch the anniversary fundraiser, is home to the annual Raisin Weekend event when first year students decked out in fancy dress take part in a foam fight after being paraded through the town by their academic parents.

The prince, 28, who is due to marry Ms Middleton on 29 April, joked: "I feel we've a pretty good chance of recreating Raisin Sunday here," before beginning an informal address in which he named St Andrews as "far and away the best university in the world".

He said the 100 million appeal, of which he is a patron, would ensure that the brightest students - "that's you and me," he told the assembled undergraduates, prompting another laugh - are able to attend St Andrews. "Happy birthday St Andrews," he added. "Here's to you and here's to the next 600 years."

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Principal Louise Richardson - who yesterday announced that a scholarship programme would be set up as a "wedding gift" to the royal couple - paid tribute to the romance between the pair. The university is said to have a higher proportion of graduates who marry each other than any other university in the UK.

"We are always delighted when two of our alumni dedicate their lives to one another," she said. "One only has to walk around this town to sense the romance of the place."

First-year students Alexander Melt and Arvid Hallberg donned their traditional university red gowns for the occasion, even though they had failed to get tickets for the main event in St Salvator's Quadrangle.More than 4,000 staff and students had applied to be allowed into the event, with just 600 places available through a ballot system.

Mr Melt, 19, said: "No matter what people think about the monarchy, everyone is genuinely excited."

Sinead Fisher, a third-year English and classics student, was one of the lucky few to be granted access to the quadrangle.

She said: "I just thought if I didn't at least try to get a place, I would have missed out hugely. He is very important to the university - it's the first thing anyone says to you when they hear where you study."

After a fly past by three Typhoon planes from nearby RAF Leuchars, the university choir performed songs including the university anthem, Gaudeamus Igitur - known to students as "The Gaudie" - which was piped to the waiting crowds as the couple exited the quadrangle to mingle with the public.

Voluntary worker Ellen Dow, 66, and her friend Keay Black, 50, a shop assistant from Anstruther, staked out a prime viewing position right beside the barriers from 7am yesterday.

"We wanted to make sure we got a good view," said Mrs Dow, who lives in St Andrews. "They are such lovely people - lovely to watch. We've not been lucky enough to see him before."

Ms Middleton, 29, wearing a bright red suit with black boots, belt and gloves, chatted to students and locals for almost half an hour after accepting a bouquet of flowers from two youngsters from Canongate Primary School.

Margaret Smith, 90, shook Ms Middleton's hand. "It was such a fleeting moment, but it was lovely," she said.

Earlier in the day, the couple, who famously became romantically involved after William noticed how attractive his friend was when she modelled a see-through dress in a student fashion show, attended a reception at University House. The building was formerly the department of history of art, one of the subjects studied by both Ms Middleton and Prince William - although the prince later switched to geography.

They also visited the university museum, where they were shown the papal bull, the original documents granting university status to St Andrews by Pope Benedict XIII in 1413.

Businesses in the seaside town joined in the celebrations, with many creating "Kate and Wills" themed window displays.

"They used to come here for breakfast all of the time," said Lisa McEwan, assistant manager at the Northpoint caf, which boasts a window banner proclaiming "where Kate met Wills", alongside a life-size picture of the pair. "I think I'd die if they walked in now, though."