Queen’s Brian May today succeeded former Prime Minister Tony Blair’s wife, Cherie, as the chancellor of Liverpool John Moores University.

May’s appointment, which was watched by over 500 people, comes less than a year after he successfully completed an astrophysics PhD which he abandoned in the 1970s to pursue his music career.

In a statement, Dr May said that he was “proud” to be given the role, which will see him represent the University on special occasions.

Dr May was awarded his PhD last August for a 48,000 word thesis, entitled, A Survey of Radial Velocities in the Zodiacal Dust Cloud.

The Queen guitarist originally began the doctorate at Imperial College in London in 1971.

Dr May said that he hoped his own personal experiences would “act as an inspiration for others."

(by Jason Gregory)