Thousands welcome Wills-Kate back to St Andrews
By ANISaturday, February 26, 2011
LONDON - Thousands of people flocked to the streets of historic St Andrews as the Royal couple made their first formal visit to the Fife town where they first met as students ten years ago.
Prince William 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,” reports the Scotsman.
Well-wishers began to gather from 7am outside St Salvator’s Chapel, where the William and Kate Middleton were due to appear after launching a fundraising drive to mark the University of St Andrews’ 600th anniversary.
The 28-year-old who is due to marry 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-pound 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. Here’s to you and here’s to the next 600 years,” he said.
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.
“We are always delighted when two of our alumni dedicate their lives to one another. One only has to walk around this town to sense the romance of the place,” she said.
Middleton, 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. (ANI)
