No 6794
Wednesday 23 July 2025
Vol clv No 43
pp. 761–767
The Common Seal of the University was affixed to the instrument of election
of The Rt Hon. Lord Smith of Finsbury, PEM, M.A., Ph.D., to the
office of Chancellor of the University, in accordance with Statute A I 2. The sealing
took place in the presence of the Vice-Chancellor and the Director of Governance and
Compliance as the Registrary’s deputy. The form of the instrument of election is
reproduced below. For details of the election result, see p. 763.
OMNIBVS Christi fidelibus ad quos hoc praesens scriptum peruenerit Deborah Anne Prentice, Magistra in Artibus, Vniuersitatis Cantabrigiensis Procancellaria, Doctores, Magistri, et Scholares eiusdem Vniuersitatis salutem in Domino sempiternam.
Sciatis quod nos praefati Procancellaria, Doctores, Magistri, et Scholares dictae Vniuersitatis Christopher Robert, Baronem Smith de Finsbury, Magistrum in Artibus, Doctorem in Philosophia, regiae maiestatis intimo concilio adscriptum, cuius notissimis de uirtutibus et probata in nos benignitate et beneuolentia merito confidimus, ad munus siue officium Cancellariatvs Vniuersitatis Cantabrigiensis nominauimus, elegimus, constituimus, et declarauimus, et eundem per praesentes nominamus, constituimus, et declaramus Cancellarivm; habendum, tenendum, fruendum, et exercendum dictum munus siue officium Cancellarii praedicti una cum omnibus suis priuilegiis, honoribus, et emolumentis ad idem munus siue officium pertinentibus et spectantibus iuxta statuta, leges, et consuetudines Vniuersitatis Cantabrigiensis, tam libere et honorifice et tam amplis modo et forma prout aliquis alius praedictum munus siue officium umquam habuerit uel tenuerit aut nos illud dare aut concedere possumus, humiliter et obnixe supplicantes ut praefatus Christopher Robert, Baro Smith de Finsbury praedictum munus siue officium ut testimonium nostrae in illum fidei fiduciaeque certissimum a nobis accipere atque nos et Vniuersitatem Cantabrigiensem et libertates et priuilegia eiusdem in clientelam et patrocinium suum suscipere dignetur.
In cuius rei testimonium has litteras nostras patentes fieri, et sigillum commune Vniuersitatis praedictae iisdem apponi fecimus uicensimo tertio die mensis Iulii anno regni Serenissimi Regis ac Domini nostri Caroli Dei gratia Britanniarum Regis, Fidei Defensoris, tertio, annoque Domini bis millensimo uicensimo quinto.
To all the faithful in Christ whom this letter reaches, Deborah Anne Prentice, Master of Arts, Vice‑Chancellor of the University of Cambridge, the Doctors, the Masters and the Scholars of the said University send greeting.
May you know that we the aforementioned Vice-Chancellor, the Doctors, the Masters and the Scholars of the said University have nominated, elected, appointed and proclaimed Christopher Robert, Baron Smith of Finsbury, Master of Arts, Doctor of Philosophy, a member of His Majesty’s Most Honourable Privy Council, in whose virtues and proven affection and kindness towards us we rightly trust, to the function or office of the Chancellorship of the University of Cambridge, and through the present instrument we name, appoint and declare him Chancellor; to have, to hold, to enjoy and to exercise the said function or office of said Chancellor together with all of the privileges, honours and emoluments pertaining to and regarding said function or office in accordance with the statutes, laws and customs of the University of Cambridge, as freely and with such honour and in as full a way and manner as anyone else ever had or held said function or office, or we are able to give and concede, humbly and firmly beseeching that said Christopher Robert, Baron Smith of Finsbury deign to accept from us said function or office as surest evidence of our faith and trust in him, and to take ourselves and the University of Cambridge and its liberties and privileges into his protection and patronage.
In evidence of which we have caused these our Letters Patent to be created, and the Common Seal of said University to be affixed to them on this the twenty-third day of the month of July in the third year of the reign of our Most Serene King and Lord Charles, by grace of God of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland King, Defender of the Faith, and in the year of Our Lord Two Thousand and Twenty Five.
E. M. C. RAMPTON, Registrary
END OF THE OFFICIAL PART OF THE ‘REPORTER’