Planning your day. - Royal Holloway Student Intranet

Find out exactly what's happening and when on your ceremony day.

If you're unsure what time your ceremony starts, check our graduation ceremony timetable.

Visit the photography studios, florists, and merchandise stands to get more out of your ceremony. You can find out more information about photos and merchandise here.

Graduate Briefing Slides - Coming soon

What to expect on the day

Time	Activity	Location
90 minutes before the start of your ceremony	You must register on arrival, so please bring a photo ID. At registration, you will be given a red card with your name and award details. The red card will be read out while you are receiving your award on stage. Please keep this with you at all times. Cloakroom opens.	Student Lounge (Windsor) Emily Wilding Davison room 104
Once Registered	Once registered, please make your way to the gowning room on the first floor of the Windsor Building. Please have your booking details and red card to hand. The gowning assistants will need these to find your gown. Please ask your guests to wait outside while you collect your gown. If you arrive in good time, we recommend you visit the photography studios and merchandise stands after collecting your gown to avoid queues after the ceremony. You can find out more information about food, drink, photos and merchandise here.	Windsor 102/103
45 minutes before the ceremony	Guests make their way to the ceremony hall. Graduates make their way to the briefing room. Graduates will recieve a graduate briefing 30 minutes before the ceremony is due to begin.	Windsor Auditorium - guests Windsor 002/003 - graduands
15 minutes before the ceremony	We ask that all guests and graduates be in the correct rooms no later than 15 minutes before the ceremony starts. Late arrivals to the ceremony hall may not be permitted to avoid disruption and ensure the ceremony starts on time.	Windsor Auditorium - guests Windsor 002/003 - graduands
Ceremony advertised start time	Ceremony commences. The ceremony will start with a welcome from the Presiding Officer. At the appropriate time, staff will begin to get you lined up in the Graduate Assembly room. You will be asked to line up, row by row, against the side of the briefing room before taking to the stage to be presented to the Presiding Officer. As you approach the Presiding Officer to collect your scroll, you will stop before them, doff your cap and receive your scroll. A photograph will be taken when you receive your scroll, so be sure to pause. You will then make your way across the stage and into the ceremony hall's student seating block.	Windsor Auditorium
Following the ceremony	Following the ceremony, the departmental photographs will be taken. Guests are welcome to join graduates.	Dry weather - Founder's South Quad Steps Wet weather - Windsor Auditorium
Following the departmental Photographs	Once the photos have been taken, we invite you to raise a glass with your guests at your reception	Founder's Square
1 hour after the final ceremony of the day	Cloakroom closes. Receptions close. Photography closes. Gown return closes.	Volunteering Hub Founder's Square EWD Foyer. EWD Entrance

Have another question about your graduation day? Click here to Ask Royal Holloway

Collecting your transcript

Undergraduate students

Transcripts for undergraduate students who are registered to attend the summer 2026 ceremonies will be available to collect from the Student Services Centre during summer graduation.

**Transcript Collection Times**
Date	Opening	Closing
Monday 20 July	11am	5.30pm
Tuesday 21 - Wednesday 29 July	8.30am	6.30pm
Thursday 30 July	8.30am	12.30pm

If you are not registered to attend summer graduation, your transcript will be posted to the forwarding address we have for you on Campus Connect within one month from the date of your final award, and will therefore not be available for collection.

Transcript posting

Transcripts for students not attending summer graduation 2026 will be dispatched week commencing 20 July as follows:

Transcripts for graduates with an international forwarding address will be sent by DHL International (not tracked)
Transcripts for Kaplan graduates will be sent directly to Kaplan by Royal Mail International (tracked)
Transcripts for graduates with a UK forwarding address will be sent via Royal Mail 2nd class post

Postgraduate Students

Transcripts for postgraduate students are posted to the forwarding address we have for you on Campus Connect within one month from the date of your final award, and will therefore not be available for collection during graduation (Winter or Summer). Please make sure your address is up to date at the point that your results are released to ensure the documents are sent to the correct address. See our article on updating your address for details on how to do this.

Gown Collection and Return Times

**Gowning Opening Hours**
Date	Opening Time	Closing Time
Monday 20 July	11am	5.30pm
Tuesday 21 – Wednesday 29	8.30am	8pm
Thursday 30	8.30am	1pm

Tempest Photography Opening Hours

**Open & Closing Times**
Date	Opening Time	Closing Time
Monday 20 July	11am	5.30pm
Tuesday 21 – Wednesday 29	8.30am	8pm
Thursday 30	8.30am	1pm

My guests or I have access requirements – what should I do?

When you register for your ceremony, you can tell us if you or your guests have access requirements. We will then contact you directly using the email address you provided when registering to provide more information.

The ceremony hall for Summer Graduation has step-free access and a hearing loop. Accessible seats within the ceremony hall will be reserved and available only for guests with access requirements.

What to see and do on campus

Picture Gallery

Our stunning Victorian Picture Gallery houses an incredible collection of world-class art. Guests can enjoy an incredible collection of world-class art, housed in our stunning Victorian Picture Gallery.

Location: Founder's North Quad

Opening Times: 11:00 am - 5.30pm, every day

Exhibition

New exhibtion coming soon.

Location: Emily Wilding Davison, Ground Floor

Opening times: 10:00 am - 6:00 pm, every day

Chapel

Housed in one of the most spectacular university buildings in the world, and completed in 1886, the beautiful gilded chapel includes bas-reliefs by Ceccardo Fucigna and a fine three-manual organ.

Location: Founder's North Quad

Opening Times: 9:00 am - 8:00 pm, every day

Childrens activity packs

Please collect a free children's activity pack from the queries desk. These can be collected once registration opens for your ceremony.