Honorary degrees
Honorary degrees of the University of London are awarded in recognition of an individual’s outstanding achievement in their field of expertise, or in recognition of the application of the individual’s knowledge and intellectual ability for the benefit, or the potential, that it offers to society. The award will always be in recognition of an achievement or an ability which aligns with our vision and values and with which we are proud to be associated. We are particularly interested in nominations which capture a sustained contribution to the areas of academic excellence, inclusivity and social justice.
An honorary graduation
Honorary degrees are customarily awarded at our graduation ceremonies in July or December. A citation detailing the particular achievements of the honorary graduate is read aloud by a member of the University, they are presented with their degree certificate and give a short acceptance speech. After the ceremony, they are then invited to join in the celebrations with their fellow graduates. Honorary graduates often comment on the sense of pride they feel for this association with our students.
Roll of Honorary graduates of Royal Holloway, University of London
- Professor Jim Al-Khalili CBE FRS FInstP
- The Rt Hon Lady Arden of Heswall DBE KC PC
- Sir Peter Bonfield CBE FREng
- The Rt Hon The Lord Bragg CH HonFRS FRSL FBA
- Lynwen Brennan CBE
- Bill Bryson OBE HonFRS
- Jonathan Burrows
- Margaret Busby CBE
- Professor Terence Cave CBE FBA
- The Rt Revd Dr Chris Cocksworth
- Dr Sabrina Cohen-Hatton
- Professor Joe Mordaunt Crook CBE FBA FSA
- Professor Hermann Danuser
- Professor Dame Sandra Dawson DBE FAcSS
- Richard Deverell CBE
- Professor Whitfield Diffie
- Professor Dame Ann Dowling OM DBE FRS FREng
- Dr Frances Fergusson
- Shadrack Osei Frimpong
- Professor Lynne Frostick CBE
- Dame Jayne-Anne Gadhia DBE CVO FRSE
- Professor Clive Gamble FSA FRAI FBA
- Jane Gardam OBE FRSL
- Lyn Gardner
- Elliot Gleave
- The Rt Hon The Baroness Greenfield CBE FRCP
- David Greig
- Gareth Griffith
- Professor Jocelyn Hicks-Brody FRCP
-
The Rt Hon The Lord Hogan-Howe KPM
- Dr Philip Hughes CBE
- Professor Jacqueline Hunter CBE FMedSci FBPharmacolS FRSB
- Dr Anne-Marie Imafidon MBE
- Robin Ince
- Anna Jones
- Sir Mark Jones FSA FRSE
- Admiral Sir Ben Key KCB CBE ADC
- Professor Sir Peter Knight FRS HonFInstP
- The Rt Hon The Lord Laming CBE PC
- Dr Vanessa Lawrence CB FRGS
- Amanda Mackenzie OBE
- Professor Cathie Martin MBE FRS
- Dr Raghunath Mashelkar FRS FREng FRSC
- Angela Mason CBE
- Akira Matsui
- Ian McEwan CBE FRSA FRSL
- Dr Ravi Mehrotra CBE
- Gina Miller
- Her Honour Anne Molyneux MBE
- Sir Mark Moody-Stuart KCMG
- N R Narayana Murthy CBE LH
- The Rt Hon The Baroness Neville-Jones DCMG PC
- Sir Keith O'Nions FRS HonFREng
- Chris Packham CBE
- Denis Pellerin
- Dr George Poste CBE FRS
- Dame Jessica Rawson DBE FBA
- Sir Steven Redgrave CBE DL
- Dame Fiona Reynolds DBE
- Professor David Rhind CBE FRS FBA
- Professor Alice Roberts FRSB
- HH Judge Khatun Sapnara
- Prunella Scales CBE
- Sir Charles Saumarez Smith CBE
- Professor Sir Simon Schama CBE FBA FRHistS FRSL
- Professor Andrew Sentance CBE
- Dame Stephanie Shirley CH DBE FREng FBCS
- Dr Simon Singh MBE
- Dr Anne-Marie Slaughter
- Dr Catherine Souch
- Dame Angela Strank DBE FRS FREng FIChemE
- Dr Andrew Taylor OBE FRS FRSE FInstP
- KT Tunstall
- Mark-Anthony Turnage CBE
- Jasmin Vardimon MBE
- Sir John Walker FRS FMedSci
- The Baroness Warwick of Undercliffe
- Timothy West CBE
- Dr Rupert Whitaker OBE
- Professor Dr Martin Wirsing
