Prince Charles visited Oxford this week to open a new university building and meet students from underrepresented backgrounds.
Arriving first at Trinity College in an electric Audi, followed by a police entourage, the Prince of Wales stepped out of the car in a grey pinstriped suit wearing a patterned blue tie, pocket square, and with a white carnation pinned to his lapel.
The flower usually symbolises good luck, but considering the Prince was 40 minutes late due to incidents on both the M40 and M4 it perhaps didn't quite do the trick.
READ MORE: Prince Charles unveils new Oxford university building
Later the future king confided to students from Oxford University: “It hasn’t been my day today and it hasn’t been yours either".
The Prince was greeted by officials, before chatting and joking with the crowd of students and faculty gathered to see him arrive.
He paid particular attention to a group of students from the rowing club, one of whom held a croquet bat that was commented on by the Prince.
Frederick Follows, 23, the croquet-bat-wielding student, who was appointed as a lecturer that day from Trinity College, said before the meeting: "It's very exciting, I had no idea he'd be coming here.
"I hope they don't confiscate my bat."
His Royal Highness's first appointment was to open the new Levine Building at the college, via the College Chapel where restoration work had been done to the Grinling Gibbons Carvings.
He was shown around by tge college’s President, Dame Hilary Boulding as well as Chancellor of the University of Oxford, Lord Patten; Oxfordshire Lord-Lieutenant Marjorie Glasgow BEM and Oxford’s Lord Mayor Mark Lygo.
The mayor said he was ‘ecstatic’ that Prince Charles came to Oxford, adding: “It’s a privilege to welcome His Royal Highness to our wonderfully diverse city of Oxford.
The new Levine Building is the first major upgrade of the college’s academic facilities in more than 50 years.
It provides world-class facilities for teaching, residential accommodation, public outreach and social activity including purpose-built teaching rooms, student bedrooms, a large flexible function room, and an informal study/community space with café.
READ MORE: Prince Charles meets Oxford students from underrepresented backgrounds
The Prince of Wales was treated to a presentation by students about life at the university, before giving a speech where he thanked donors who helped fund the building and sang the praises of Oxford academics for their work on the Astra-Zeneca Covid-19 vaccine.
The Prince of Wales said: "Trinity College presents the University at a human scale. And the work of your academics – as we’ve seen – is making a real difference to people’s lives.
"And I can only congratulate you all on the vital work you do and the generosity of spirit that underpins it.
"And ladies and gentlemen, that same generosity has clearly infused the development of this building.
He continued: "So many former students contributed to the fundraising campaign, no doubt because of their own memorable and life-changing experiences here and the desire to make that possible for others."
"It is, of course, a great responsibility to create new facilities within an inspiring and historic setting – and indeed one that includes buildings by such giants as Christopher Wren.
"Therefore I can only offer my warmest congratulations to the many people who contributed their talents and expertise to create a building worthy of this historic site."
Weidenfeld Hoffmann Scholar Rai Sengupta, 25, a graduate student who spoke about her future aims to help women and children in India as part of the student presentation spoke to Prince Charles after the performance.
She said: “It was wonderful to interact with him afterwards and he seemed really interested in our work so it was a great experience.
Following his speech and meeting the student performers Prince Charles shortly made an appearance at a champagne and strawberries reception.
Here he greeted and congratulated former student turned oil magnate Peter Levine who provided the biggest donation for the building.
Finishing his visit to Trinity College, Prince Charles returned to his car and was driven around the corner to University College on High Street.
Dame Hilary said: “It was a huge privilege to welcome His Royal Highness to Trinity College to launch this wonderful building which will transform what we can offer our students and academics, as well as Oxfordshire school students and the wider Oxford community.”
Five minutes later Baroness Valerie Amos, the first black master of an Oxford college, welcomed His Royal Highness and invited him into her residence at the University College.
Here the Prince met with student committee members from the college before holding a discussion with twelve students from underrepresented backgrounds.
Naroa Ibarra-Aizpura, 24, from Spain who is the Vice President of the MCR at University College Oxford spoke to Prince Charles on entry and described him as "really funny and nice" after he complimented her on her English.
The students in the meeting were either recipients of the Amos Bursary, to support talents of African and Caribbean heritage, or from Opportunity Oxford, a programme to support Oxford University offer holders bridge the gap between 6th form and university.
The students were invited by Baroness Amos to share their journeys to Oxford, Charles listening in.
Kwabena Osei, 20, [pictured in the second row of the group photo, to the left] who is a recipient of the Amos Bursary and studying history and politics said on meeting Prince Charles: “I think it was very daunting. When I tell my mum she’s not going to believe me!
“We all went around introducing ourselves and our journey to Oxford. I told him about my journey and my own personal challenges to get here. He asked me some questions about my mum who is from Ghana."
The 20-year-old from Enfield in North London shared that he hadn’t even thought of applying for Oxford or the bursary until he was persuaded by a family friend.
After the discussion, students hurried off to their 4pm lectures as Prince Charles drove away, presumably avoiding the M40 this time around.
A straggler who had managed to miss the event asked what all the fuss was about, to which another student replied "Only the future king of England".
Read more from this author
This story was written by Shosha Adie.
She joined the team in 2022 as a digital reporter.
To get in touch with her email: Shosha.Adie@newsquest.co.uk
Follow her on Twitter: @ShoshaAdie
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