University of Oxford awards Hillary Clinton honorary degree

Hillary Clinton collected an honorary degree from the University of Oxford at the Sheldonian Theatre

Former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has been awarded an honorary degree by the University of Oxford.

The ex-presidential candidate received an honorary doctorate in civil law at a ceremony honouring notable women at the Sheldonian Theatre on Wednesday afternoon.

Mrs Clinton said she was "thrilled" to receive the honour.

In 2016, she became the first woman to earn a major party's nomination for president.

She won just under 66 million votes, but was defeated by Donald Trump.

In a post on Instagram, Mrs Clinton wrote: "Thrilled to receive an honorary Doctorate of Civil Law on a beautiful day at Oxford University."

Mrs Clinton was US Secretary of State from 2009 to 2013 under Barack Obama.

She also served as a US senator for New York and as first lady for two terms under her husband Bill.

Last year the university named a new women's history professorship after Mrs Clinton.

In 2014, the Clintons visited Oxford to watch the graduation of their daughter Chelsea after she earned a doctorate degree in international relations.

Mr Clinton also received an honorary degree in 1994 from the university, where he had previously been a Rhodes scholar at University College from 1968 to 1970.

Mrs Clinton served as US Secretary of State from 2009 to 2013 under Barack Obama

At this year's Encaenia ceremony, all the recipients of honorary degrees were women

Encaenia is the ceremony at which the University of Oxford awards honorary degrees to distinguished men and women, and commemorates its benefactors.

This year all six recipients were women, including writer Jeanette Winterson.

Speaking of the recipients, Prof Louise Richardson, vice-chancellor of University of Oxford, said: "Their work covers the breadth of human endeavour from the arts and sciences to the world of politics and policy.

"They have helped to improve the lives of others, they have helped us to see the world more clearly, and they have helped us to imagine a better world."

On Friday, Mrs Clinton will be inaugurated as chancellor at Queen's University in Belfast, Northern Ireland.