HRH The Princess Royal officially opens City Campus to mark key milestone for award-winning project

HRH The Princess Royal has officially opened University of Gloucestershire’s new City Campus at an event attended by students, staff, community leaders, charity champions and honorary graduates.

The Princess Royal unveiled a ceremonial plaque and signed the visitors’ book to mark the important milestone for the award-winning regeneration project at the former Debenhams and Bon Marche retail location in Gloucester.

Her Royal Highness was presented with a posey bouquet by Edna Lee, who worked for Debenhams for 64 years and was among several former Debenhams and Bon Marche employees to attend the official opening of what is now a cutting-edge centre for teaching and learning and community services.

Earlier, The Princess Royal received a guided tour of the City Campus facilities from the University’s Vice-Chancellor, Dame Clare Marchant, DBE, during which she met students, academic teams and members of the local community.

As part of the tour, Her Royal Highness visited the new public library, delivered in partnership by the University and Gloucestershire County Council, located on the ground floor of the building.

Among the hundreds of guests were ex-Gloucester Rugby player Ed Slater, now a powerful advocate for the MND community, and Nick Gazzard OBE, founder of the Hollie Gazzard Trust – both honorary graduates of the University. Baroness Jacqui Smith, Minister of State (Minister for Skills and Minister for Women and Equalities), and Gloucester MP Alex McIntyre also attended.

They were joined by representatives from the University’s key partners in the £70 million project, including Gloucestershire County Council, NHS Gloucestershire, Morgan Sindall Construction, ADP Architecture, Cotswold Archaeology and Ridge and Partners LLP.

Dame Clare Marchant, DBE, said: “We’re thrilled that HRH The Princess Royal could join us to celebrate and mark such an important milestone both for the University and the wider community.

“We were proud to have an opportunity to show The Princess Royal how we’ve collaborated with a range of partners to sympathetically transform the former Debenhams building into a cutting-edge location that is bringing benefits to our students, staff and local people.

“It was fantastic to welcome so many people from organisations who have played, and will continue to play, such key roles in the development of City Campus, and of course, meet former Debenhams and Bon Marche employees for whom the iconic location holds so many fond memories.”

Opening its doors in August 2025, City Campus is home to the University’s Education, Psychology and Social Work programmes, while also providing shared public access facilities.

These include a new Arts, Health and Wellbeing Centre delivered in partnership with the NHS Integrated Care Board, and the new public library.

Baroness Jacqui Smith said: “This new campus in the heart of Gloucester is already having an important impact on shaping young people’s future and helping to drive economic growth. A presence in the heart of the city will also encourage more to see the opportunities that a university education can provide.

“We are determined to restore universities across the country as engines of opportunity, aspiration, and growth and will continue to work with universities to meet the Prime Minister’s target of two-thirds of young people studying degrees or gold-standard apprenticeships by the age of 25.”