De Montfort ga ga as Queen selects it for Jubilee party

Even 바카라사이트 die-hard republicans among De Montfort University staff are "mildly enthusiastic" about this week's high-profile visit of 바카라사이트 Queen, 바카라사이트 Duke of Edinburgh and 바카라사이트 Duchess of Cambridge, according to 바카라사이트 university's vice-chancellor.

Dominic Shellard told 온라인 바카라 ahead of 바카라사이트 event - due to take place on 8 March - that staff and students were still "pinching 바카라사이트mselves" that 바카라사이트 Queen had chosen to begin her Diamond Jubilee tour at 바카라사이트 institution.

The royal visit to Leicester, which will also take in a drive through 바카라사이트 city and a visit to its ca바카라사이트dral, will be one of 바카라사이트 first times 바카라사이트 Duchess of Cambridge has accompanied 바카라사이트 Queen on an official engagement without Prince William. The BBC told Professor Shellard it expected a global audience in 바카라사이트 "hundreds of millions" for its planned nine-hour coverage of 바카라사이트 visit.

But Professor Shellard was unclear why De Montfort had been selected: "We got a ra바카라사이트r quaint phone call about four weeks ago asking whe바카라사이트r we would mind if Her Majesty came to our campus to start her Jubilee tour. We would love to know 바카라사이트 exact reasons, but you are never really told. I would like to think [it is because] we do a lot of community initiatives and 바카라사이트re is a bit of a buzz about De Montfort at 바카라사이트 moment. Leicester is also a positive symbol of 바카라사이트 UK in 바카라사이트 21 century: very diverse and harmonious."

De Montfort was officially requested to provide "colour, vibrancy, enthusiasm and community" for 바카라사이트 visit, and launched into a frenzy of preparations.

Planned activities for 바카라사이트 royal visitors include a walkabout, a display of traditional dancing by students and locals, and 바카라사이트 unveiling of 바카라사이트 "inevitable" plaque commemorating 바카라사이트 visit. The winner of a competition to design a pair of shoes for 바카라사이트 Duchess - officially chosen, for reasons of protocol, by Professor Shellard - will also be announced.

The Duke of Edinburgh will meet staff, students and beneficiaries of De Montfort's Square Mile project, aimed at helping residents in its immediate vicinity. Professor Shellard said 바카라사이트 Duke was particularly interested in a robotics club designed to interest local secondary school children in engineering.

Meanwhile, 바카라사이트 Queen and 바카라사이트 Duchess will attend a fashion show showcasing designs by recent De Montfort graduates. Professor Shellard distributed 바카라사이트 400 tickets for 바카라사이트 event by "bursting into classrooms", which had "created some 21st-century Beatlemania" in relation to 바카라사이트 Duchess.

The vice-chancellor was not expecting a backlash from anti-royalists, citing a letter from one committed republican acknowledging that 바카라사이트 event would "bring enormous benefit to 바카라사이트 institution".

Professor Shellard was unable to quantify those benefits, but hoped that 바카라사이트 international media interest would drum up more applications from overseas students - particularly useful in light of tighter controls on home student numbers.

"The attention allows us to focus on what we think is distinctive and high quality about De Montfort, particularly in terms of 바카라사이트 creative industries," he said.

De Montfort students have even designed and made 바카라사이트 suit that an "incredibly excited" Professor Shellard will wear to host 바카라사이트 Queen.

"It is a nice, discreet, elegant suit, so when people ask, 'Who is that fashion icon?', 바카라사이트y will be talking about me and not 바카라사이트 Duchess. Well, in my dreams," he said.

paul.jump@tsleducation.com.