Princess Anne marks milestone moment at UCL with historic Cloisters reopening

Princess Anne carried out another engagement on Thursday at the historic Bloomsbury campus of University College London.

The Princess Royal made a low-key arrival at UCL to meet students, academics and staff who are helping mark a milestone moment in the university’s long history.

The visit centred on the formal reopening of the beautifully restored Wilkins Building Cloisters that forms part of the university’s original 19th-century design.

During her time on campus, Anne spoke with those involved in the restoration project and learned more about how the university is celebrating its landmark anniversary.

Anne attended the event in her role as Chancellor of the University of London.

The last time a British monarch visited the university for such a milestone was nearly a century ago, when King George V and Queen Mary attended celebrations marking UCL’s centenary in 1927.

Earlier, the horse-loving royal was also spotted arriving at the National Equine Forum at One Birdcage Walk in Westminster, a key gathering for experts across the equestrian world.

On March 3, she paid a visit to The Old Department Store, where a once-traditional high street landmark is beginning a new chapter as a bustling community hub.

The royal guest was given a tour of the revitalised building, hearing about the ambitious “High Street Reimagined” vision that aims to transform the historic space into a centre for social enterprise, collaboration, and local innovation.

One of the highlights of the visit saw the Princess Royal explore several of The Grace Network’s social enterprise ventures operating within the space.