Aretha Franklin was awarded an honorary doctorate from Princeton University on Tuesday, in recognition of her outstanding career.
The Queen of Soul donned the traditional cap and gown as she was made a doctor of music by the Ivy League school.
Referring to the icon’s hit songs, school trustee Stephen Oxman told the crowd at the commencement ceremony, “With her singular amazing grace, she continues to traverse musical bridges over trouble water, and by remedying us to think, do right and call on her, the Queen of Soul will forever command the world’s r-e-s-p-e-c-t.”
Franklin, who has never attended college, also has honorary doctorates in music from Berklee College of Music (2006) and Yale University (2010).
