Glasgow University was established in 1451

Other members of the royal family to be similarly honoured were the Prince and Princess of Wales, later to be King George V and Queen Mary, in 1907, and the Prince of Wales, subsequently Edward VII, in 1868.

Before the ceremony, the Prince chatted with undergraduate and postgraduate students in the Robing Room and accompanied King Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, leader of the Asante people in Ghana, as the graduands were escorted to the university chapel.

The king, dressed in a kente, the traditional one-piece robe of his kingdom, was made a Doctor of Laws in recognition of his commitment to education in his community.

Mrs Machel, was awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws in recognition of her work in education in her native Mozambique.

Reduced illiteracy

She was education minister in her country's first independent government and helped reduce illiteracy by 22%.

Also among the graduates were the Rt Rev John Miller, the current Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, who received a Doctorate in Divinity, and Glasgow's Lord Provost Alex Mosson, who was made a Doctor of Laws.

The degrees were awarded on Commemoration Day, which marks the 550th anniversary of the university's foundation.

In 1451, the Scottish King James II persuaded Pope Nicholas V to grant a bill authorising Bishop Turnbull of Glasgow to set up an institution modelled on the University of Bologna.

A number of projects have been launched to mark the 550th anniversary, most notable of which is the first purpose-built home for the university's medical school.