600 Years and Counting...

Today marks my university's 600th birthday! Well, ONE of St Andrews's 600th birthdays. You see, no one can agree which date should count as the 'official' date of the institution's founding. There are three options:

1) February 1411, when Bishop Wardlaw signed the charter establishing the University of St Andrews;

2) August 1413, when Pope Benedict XIII signed the Papal Bull (official proclamation) recognising the institution and granting full privileges;

or

3) February 1414, the day the Papal Bull finally made it to St Andrews (and you thought your mail delivery service was slow...).

So rather than bicker over technicalities, the University decided to have a three year-long bash! The party kicked off this morning with an RAF fly-over, a wee ceremony in the sun, and a visit by some rather well known graduates...

(My friend Bailey Roberts took these two photos! She's an amazing photographer! You should check out her website: Bailey Marie Photography!)

I didn't take the photos, because I had a wee girl on my shoulders.

(My friend Katherine took this one! Thanks, Katherine!)

My friend Heidi's little girl, Kendra, was so excited to see a real prince and princess! (We figured it would be too complicated to explain that Kate won't be a princess until they are married!) Kendra was SO good as we...

...waited... ...and waited... ...and waited.

Her wee sister, Kara, fell asleep... while members of the University's Gilbert & Sullivan Society advertised for their latest production, 'The Yeoman of the Guard'.

Then finally...

...the University flag flying above St Salvator's Tower was changed to William's Standard.

After a brief ceremony, the couple arrived on North Street:

(See that teeny spot of red, that's Kate's coat. William is to her right. I promise!)

You can watch William's speech here. Rather well done, we thought.

This was their first official public appearance in Scotland since the engagement was announced, so there were plenty of folks who wanted to wish them well.

My photos are a bit rubbish. But then again, I was a little pre-occupied with a princess of my own!

After greeting their public, the royal couple rode off in a pumpkin...

...that looked an awful lot like a Land Rover.

And life in this sleepy little town by the sea returned to normal.

Or as normal as can be, with a 600 year-old university at its heart.