Honorary degrees The University of London presented its first honorary degrees in June 1903. This accolade has been bestowed on several members of British royal family and a wide range of distinguished individuals from both the academic and non-academic worlds. Honorary degrees are approved by the Collegiate Council, part of the university's governance structure. George V (Hon. 1903), King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India Edward VIII (Hon. M.Com. 1921, D.Sc. 1921), King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother (Hon. D.Litt. 1937), Queen consort of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone (1933), member of the British royal family Queen Elizabeth II (Hon. BMus, Hon. LLD), Queen of the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth realms Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (Hon. LLD) Consort of the British monarch Princess Margaret (Hon. D.Mus. 1957), Member of British royal family Albert Einstein (1936), Theoretical physicist and Recipient of Nobel Prize in Physics in 1921 René Cassin (1969), Recipient of Nobel Peace Prize in 1968 Lars Ahlfors (1978), Finnish mathematician Recipient of Fields Medal in 1936. Franklin D. Roosevelt (1941; conferred in 1945), 32nd President of the United States Winston Churchill (Hon. LLD 1948), Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Stanley Baldwin (1933), Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Helena Kennedy (2015), Principal of Mansfield College, Oxford John Beddington (2015), UK Government Chief Scientific Adviser Rolph Payet (Hon. D.Sc. 2016), United Nations Executive Secretary for the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Convention Cosmo Gordon Lang (1933), Archbishop of Canterbury (1928–1942) Eliza Manningham-Buller (2019), Director General of MI5 (2002 to 2007) Jack Higgins, British writer David Cannadine (Hon. D.Litt. 2017), President of the British Academy Sue Black (Hon. D.Sc. 2018), Pro Vice-Chancellor at Lancaster University References Notes External links University of London student lists London People