The rivalry between

King's College London King's College London (informally King's or KCL) is a public research university located in London, England. King's was established by royal charter in 1829 under the patronage of King George IV and the Duke of Wellington. In 1836, King's ...

and

University College London , mottoeng = Let all come who by merit deserve the most reward , established = , type = Public research university , endowment = £143 million (2020) , budget = ...

has been a part of London life for nearly two centuries.

Origins

King's College was founded in 1829 in response to the founding of "London University", latterly known as University College London, in 1826. UCL was founded, with the backing of Jews, Utilitarians and non-Anglican Christians, as a secular institution, intended to educate "the youth of our middling rich people between the ages of 15 or 16 and 20 or later". Strand102

Early in 1829 Winchilsea publicly challenged Wellington about the Duke's simultaneous support for the Anglican King's College and the Roman Catholic Relief Act 1829. The result was a duel in Battersea Fields on 21 March. Shots were fired but no-one was hurt. Duel Day is still celebrated annually at King's in March.

Student Rags

Student Rags were manifestations of the rivalry between the two institutions. Rags were "colourful, subversive, and occasionally dangerous" for both participants and bystanders and reached their height between the two

World War A world war is an international conflict which involves all or most of the world's major powers. Conventionally, the term is reserved for two major international conflicts that occurred during the first half of the 20th century, World WarI (1914 ...

s. A long-running campaign of the rags were the attempts to capture each other's

mascot A mascot is any human, animal, or object thought to bring luck, or anything used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, professional sports team, society, military unit, or brand name. Mascots are also used as fi ...

s. Running battles were supposedly brought to an end by the colleges' authorities in the first half of the twentieth century, but rivalry amongst the University of London's colleges continues to this day.

College mascots

Kidnappings

Likewise, UCL mascots have been kidnapped over the years, with the tarring and feathering of Phineas and the infamous theft of preserved Jeremy Bentham's head. Mascot theft has since died down with both university's mascots more securely protected.

1919–1938: Heyday of the rag

Great rag of 1922

1927 – Students storm University College

1929

1938–1945: World War II

1950–present

Today, annual

rag Rag, rags, RAG or The Rag may refer to: Common uses * Rag, a piece of old cloth * Rags, tattered clothes * Rag (newspaper), a publication engaging in tabloid journalism * Rag paper, or cotton paper Arts and entertainment Film * ''Rags'' (1915 ...

events take place in universities throughout the United Kingdom to raise money for charities.

Women

Other intercollegiate rivalries within the University of London

In 1935 a failed attempt was made by student of Queen Mary to capture Reggie the Lion. A triumph for Queen Mary students came in 1923 during a football cup final between Queen Mary and University College.

References

External links

King's College London's Archives & Special Collections
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Historic rivalry King's College London Rivalry University College London University folklore