Congratulations to St Hugh’s Honorary Fellow and former Principal, Lady Elish Angiolini, LT, DBE, PC, KC, who has received an honorary degree at a special ceremony held at the Sheldonian Theatre on Tuesday 24 February 2026. The event marks a longstanding tradition at Oxford University, where the new Chancellor is invited to propose candidates for honorary degrees at a special ceremony to mark the start of their Chancellorship.
Lord Hague, Chancellor of Oxford University said, ‘I am delighted to honour eight exceptional individuals today, whose achievements and dedication to their respective fields has been a personal inspiration to me. In a ceremony that reflects Oxford’s history and purpose, we celebrate honorands devoted to service, creativity, scholarship and leadership, whose work has made a profound impact on the world in which we live.
Lady Elish said, ‘My time at Oxford was one of the happiest and fulfilling periods of my life. St Hugh’s College is a wonderful place to have had the privilege of being Principal. My two sons grew up there and one also met his future fiancé here. Sharing the triumphs as well as the challenges faced by my academic colleagues was immensely rewarding. Although I presided over very many Graduation ceremonies as Pro Vice Chancellor, I never contemplated being the recipient of this wonderful honour for which I am truly grateful.’
Pictured on the left are four generations of St Hugh’s Principals at the celebratory dinner: Sir Andrew Dilnot CBE, Michele Acton, Lady Elish Angiolini, LT, DBE, PC, KC and Derek Wood CBE KC.
For more information, including details on all the honorands please click here.
