Emma Freud and Alison Weir receive honorary doctorates from University of Suffolk

Why it matters: Both used the occasion to pass on advice to graduating students, with Freud urging them to "find your community" and Weir telling them to "never give up".

What they're saying: Addressing graduating students on Saturday afternoon, Freud urged them to "find your community", saying it would help them overcome life's challenges and pressures.

She admitted she never attended her own university graduation at the age of 22, adding: "I'm really sorry about that, but it means it feels really cool, that 42 years later, I am sharing this moment … in a room full of such very beautiful graduates."

Weir's advice to graduating students was to "never give up and remember that the only thing between you and the top of the ladder is the ladder."

Urging emerging writers to persevere, she admitted her own first book was 1,024 pages long, with only one agent writing back to suggest that if there was a world paper shortage, she had added to it substantially.

Emma Freud: Freud, 64, who was raised on the Suffolk coast where she still lives, was recognised for her career in film, broadcasting and the charitable sector.

Her broadcasting career includes BBC Greater London Radio, BBC Radio 4 and BBC's The Archers Podcast. She has also worked as a creative director and executive producer of Comic Relief.

"I have spent my life in Suffolk, my father was brought up in Suffolk, my grandparents lived in Suffolk, we've been in the same village for five generations now, and it's the place that I am happiest – it is who I am, it defines me," she said.

Alison Weir: The UK's top-selling female historian, Weir was recognised for a writing career spanning more than 40 books, with more than three million copies sold worldwide. She described the honour as "one of the most special days of my life".

Much of her work explores the Tudor period, and in 2025 she released a novel on Wolsey, titled The Cardinal: The Secret Life of Thomas Wolsey.

"Sadly, his college is long gone thanks to Henry VIII, but you've got a great university instead," she said.

She said Wolsey was "much maligned" and "deserves a higher profile".

What to look out for: Weir also runs Alison Weir Tours, which offers high-end historical tours each year. While planning is ongoing for the next tour in Normandy, she did not rule out a future tour in Ipswich.

"We might, you never know," she said. "I would love to because I know there is a lot of history around here."

The bottom line: Two of the University of Suffolk's newest honorary doctors left graduates with a simple message - find your community and never give up - while celebrating the county and its history.

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