Queens' College, Cambridge
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Queens' College is a
constituent college A collegiate university is a university in which functions are divided between a central administration and a number of constituent colleges. Historically, the first collegiate university was the University of Paris and its first college was the C ...
of the
University of Cambridge , mottoeng = Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts. Non literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge. , established = , other_name = The Chancellor, Masters and Schola ...
. Queens' is one of the oldest colleges of the university, founded in 1448 by Margaret of Anjou. The college spans the River Cam, colloquially referred to as the "light side" and the "dark side", with the
Mathematical Bridge The Mathematical Bridge is the popular name of a wooden footbridge in the southwest of central Cambridge, England. It bridges the River Cam about one hundred feet northwest of Silver Street Bridge and connects two parts of Queens' College. It ...
connecting the two. The college has various distinguished or interesting alumni including
Desiderius Erasmus Desiderius Erasmus Roterodamus (; ; English: Erasmus of Rotterdam or Erasmus;''Erasmus'' was his baptismal name, given after St. Erasmus of Formiae. ''Desiderius'' was an adopted additional name, which he used from 1496. The ''Roterodamus'' wa ...
, who studied at the college during his trips to England between 1506 and 1515. Other notable alumni include author T. H. White, Israeli politician
Abba Eban Abba Solomon Meir Eban (; he, אבא אבן ; born Aubrey Solomon Meir Eban; 2 February 1915 – 17 November 2002) was an Israeli diplomat and politician, and a scholar of the Arabic and Hebrew languages. During his career, he served as For ...
, founding father of
Ghana Ghana (; tw, Gaana, ee, Gana), officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It abuts the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, sharing borders with Ivory Coast in the west, Burkina Faso in the north, and To ...
William Ofori Atta William Ofori Atta (10 October 1910 – 14 July 1988), popularly called "Paa Willie", was a founding member of the United Gold Coast Convention (UGCC) and one of the founding fathers of Ghana, as one of " The Big Six" detained by the British co ...
, newsreader and journalist
Emily Maitlis Emily Maitlis (born 6 September 1970) is a British journalist, documentary filmmaker, and former newsreader for the BBC. She was the lead anchor until the end of 2021 of ''Newsnight'', the BBC Two news and current affairs programme. Early lif ...
, actor
Stephen Fry Stephen John Fry (born 24 August 1957) is an English actor, broadcaster, comedian, director and writer. He first came to prominence in the 1980s as one half of the comic double act Fry and Laurie, alongside Hugh Laurie, with the two starring ...
,
Governor of the Bank of England The governor of the Bank of England is the most senior position in the Bank of England. It is nominally a civil service post, but the appointment tends to be from within the bank, with the incumbent grooming their successor. The governor of the Ba ...
Andrew Bailey, and the British
members of Parliament A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members of ...
Stephen Kinnock and
Liz Kendall Elizabeth Louise Kendall (born 11 June 1971) is a British Labour Party politician who has been Member of Parliament (MP) for Leicester West since 2010. Kendall was educated at Queens' College, Cambridge, where she read history. From 2011 to 2 ...
. , the college held non-current assets valued at £111.18 million. The current president of the college is the economist
Mohamed A. El-Erian Mohamed Aly El-Erian ( ar, محمد العريان, Muḥammad al-ʿAryān; born August 19, 1958) is an Egyptian-American economist and businessman. He is President of Queens' College, Cambridge, and chief economic adviser at Allianz, the corpor ...
. Past presidents include Saint
John Fisher John Fisher (c. 19 October 1469 – 22 June 1535) was an English Catholic bishop, cardinal, and theologian. Fisher was also an academic and Chancellor of the University of Cambridge. He was canonized by Pope Pius XI. Fisher was executed by o ...
.


History

Queens' College was founded in 1448 by Margaret of Anjou and refounded in 1465 by the rival queen
Elizabeth Woodville Elizabeth Woodville (also spelt Wydville, Wydeville, or Widvile;Although spelling of the family name is usually modernised to "Woodville", it was spelt "Wydeville" in contemporary publications by Caxton, but her tomb at St. George's Chapel, Wind ...
. This dual foundation is reflected in its
orthography An orthography is a set of conventions for writing a language, including norms of spelling, hyphenation, capitalization, word breaks, emphasis, and punctuation. Most transnational languages in the modern period have a writing system, and mos ...
: ''Queens''', not ''Queen's'', although the full name is "The Queen's College of St Margaret and St Bernard, commonly called Queens' College, in the University of Cambridge". In 1446
Andrew Dokett Andrew DuckettAlso Doket, Dokket or Ducket, Doget or Dogett. (died 4 November 1484) was an English churchman and academic, who became the first President of Queens' College, Cambridge. Life He was principal and owner of St. Bernard's Hostel, of w ...
obtained a charter from Henry VI to found St Bernard's College, on a site now part of St Catharine's College. A year later the charter was revoked and Dokett obtained a new charter from the king to found St Bernard's College on the present site of Old Court and Cloister Court. In 1448 Queen Margaret received from her husband, King Henry VI, the lands of St Bernard's College to build a new college to be called "Queen's College of St Margaret and St Bernard". On 15 April 1448, Sir John Wenlock, chamberlain to Queen Margaret, laid the foundation stone at the south-east corner of the chapel. By 1460 the library, chapel, gatehouse and President's Lodge were completed and the chapel licensed for service. In 1477 and 1484 Richard III made large endowments to the college and his wife,
Anne Neville Anne Neville (11 June 1456 – 16 March 1485) was Queen of England as the wife of King Richard III. She was the younger of the two daughters and co-heiresses of Richard Neville, 16th Earl of Warwick (the "Kingmaker"). Before her marriage to Ric ...
, became the third queen to be patroness of the college, making endowments on her own behalf, which were all taken away by Henry VII after he overthrew Richard. Between that time and the early 1600s, many improvements were made and new buildings constructed, including the Walnut Tree Building, which was completed in 1618. Since then the college has refurbished most of its old buildings and steadily expanded. In the early seventeenth century Queens' had become a very fashionable college for the gentry and aristocracy, especially for those with more Puritan leanings. During the
English civil war The English Civil War (1642–1651) was a series of civil wars and political machinations between Parliamentarians (" Roundheads") and Royalists led by Charles I ("Cavaliers"), mainly over the manner of England's governance and issues of re ...
the college sent all its silver to help the King. As a result, the president and the fellows were ejected from their posts. In 1660 the president was restored. In 1777, a fire in the Walnut Tree Building destroyed the upper floors, which were rebuilt 1778–82. In February 1795 the college was badly flooded, reportedly waist-deep in the cloisters. In 1823, the spelling of the college's name officially changed from Queen's to Queens'. The earliest known record of the college
boat club A boat club is a sports club serving boat owners, particularly those interested in rowing and yachting, but also kayaking, canoeing, motor boats and other small boats. See also *Rowing club *Yacht club A yacht club is a sports club specif ...
dates from 1831. In 1862, the St Bernard Society, the
debating Debate is a process that involves formal discourse on a particular topic, often including a moderator and audience. In a debate, arguments are put forward for often opposing viewpoints. Debates have historically occurred in public meetings, a ...
club of the college was founded. In 1884, the first football match was played by the college team and the St Margaret Society was founded. In 1980, the college for the first time allowed females to matriculate as members, with the first female members of the college graduating in 1983.


Coat of arms

The arms are the paternal arms of the first foundress queen, Margaret of Anjou, daughter of Rene, Duke of Anjou, with a
difference Difference, The Difference, Differences or Differently may refer to: Music * ''Difference'' (album), by Dreamtale, 2005 * ''Differently'' (album), by Cassie Davis, 2009 ** "Differently" (song), by Cassie Davis, 2009 * ''The Difference'' (al ...
of a ''bordure verte'' for the college. The six-quarters of these arms represent the six lordships (either actual or titular) which he claimed. These arms are of interest because the third quarter (
Jerusalem Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...
) uses ''or'' (gold) on ''argent'' (silver), a combination which breaks the rule of tincture of "no metal on metal" in heraldry. The
cross potent A cross potent (plural: crosses potent), also known as a crutch cross, is a form of heraldic cross with crossbars at the four ends. In French, it is known as '' croix potencée'', in German as a ''Kruckenkreuz'', all translating to "crutch cross ...
is a visual pun on the letters H and I, the first two letters of ''Hierusalem''.


Badge

These are not the official arms of the College, but, rather, a badge. The silver boar's head was the badge of Richard III. The earliest evidence of the college using a boar's head as a symbol is from 1544. The gold cross stands for St Margaret, and the gold crozier for St Bernard, the two patron saints of Queens' College. There is also a suggestion that the
saltire A saltire, also called Saint Andrew's Cross or the crux decussata, is a heraldic symbol in the form of a diagonal cross, like the shape of the letter X in Roman type. The word comes from the Middle French ''sautoir'', Medieval Latin ''saltatori ...
arrangement of these (like the St Andrew's Cross) is an allusion to
Andrew Dokett Andrew DuckettAlso Doket, Dokket or Ducket, Doget or Dogett. (died 4 November 1484) was an English churchman and academic, who became the first President of Queens' College, Cambridge. Life He was principal and owner of St. Bernard's Hostel, of w ...
, the first president of Queens'. Today, this badge is widely used by college clubs, and also appears in connection with food or dining.


Buildings and location

Queens' College has some of the most recognisable buildings in Cambridge. It combines
medieval architecture Medieval architecture is architecture common in the Middle Ages, and includes religious, civil, and military buildings. Styles include pre-Romanesque, Romanesque, and Gothic. While most of the surviving medieval architecture is to be seen in ...
and modern architecture in extensive gardens. It is one of two colleges in Cambridge the buildings of which straddle the River Cam (the other being St John's). The two halves are joined across the river by the famous
Mathematical Bridge The Mathematical Bridge is the popular name of a wooden footbridge in the southwest of central Cambridge, England. It bridges the River Cam about one hundred feet northwest of Silver Street Bridge and connects two parts of Queens' College. It ...
. Queens' College is located to the south of the centre of the city. It is the second southernmost of the colleges on the banks of the River Cam, primarily on the east bank. (The others—in distance order—are King's, Clare, Trinity Hall,
Trinity The Christian doctrine of the Trinity (, from 'threefold') is the central dogma concerning the nature of God in most Christian churches, which defines one God existing in three coequal, coeternal, consubstantial divine persons: God th ...
, St John's, and Magdalene to the north and Darwin to the south).


Cloister Court

The President's Lodge of Queens' is the oldest building on the river at Cambridge (ca. 1460). The President's Lodge is part of Cloister Court: the Cloister walks were erected in the 1490s to connect the Old Court of 1448/9 with the riverside buildings of the 1460s, thus forming the court now known as Cloister Court. Essex Building, in the corner of the court, was erected 1756–60, named after its builder, James Essex the Younger (1722–1784), a local craftsman who had earlier erected the Mathematical bridge.


Old Court

Old Court was built between 1448 and 1451. Stylistic features suggest that this was designed by and built under the direction of the master mason
Reginald Ely Reginald Ely or Reynold of Ely ( fl. 1438–1471) was an English master mason and architect working in Gothic architecture in the Kingdom of England in the 15th century.
, who was also at the same time erecting the original Old Court of King's College (now part of the University Old Schools opposite Clare College), and the start of
King's College Chapel King's College Chapel is the chapel of King's College, Cambridge, King's College in the University of Cambridge. It is considered one of the finest examples of late Perpendicular Gothic English architecture and features the world's largest fan ...
. Whereas King's was built using very expensive stone, Queens' Old Court was made using cheaper
clunch Clunch is a traditional building material of chalky limestone rock used mainly in eastern England and Normandy. Clunch distinguishes itself from archetypal forms of limestone by being softer in character when cut, such as resembling chalk in lo ...
with a red brick skin. Queens' was finished within two years, whereas King's Old Court was never finished, and the chapel took nearly a century to build. The War Memorial Library is the present student library. The War Memorial Library was formerly the original chapel, part of Old Court. It was named in honour of Queens' College alumni and members who died in service in the Second World War. Before the 1940s, the student library was the present Old Library. The Old Library was built in 1448, part of Old Court, and situated between the President's Lodge and the original chapel. It is one of the earliest purpose-built libraries in Cambridge. It houses a collection of nearly 20,000 manuscripts and printed books. It is especially notable because nearly all printed books remain in their original bindings, because Queens' has never been wealthy enough to afford re-binding all the books in a uniform manner, as was the fashion in the 18th century. It is also notable because it contains the earliest English
celestial globes Celestial globes show the apparent positions of the stars in the sky. They omit the Sun, Moon, and planets because the positions of these bodies vary relative to those of the stars, but the ecliptic, along which the Sun moves, is indicated. The ...
, owned once by Queens' fellow of mathematics Sir Thomas Smith (1513–1577), and because its medieval
lectern A lectern is a reading desk with a slanted top, on which documents or books are placed as support for reading aloud, as in a scripture reading, lecture, or sermon. A lectern is usually attached to a stand or affixed to some other form of support. ...
s were refashioned into bookshelves, still present today.


Walnut Tree Court

Walnut Tree Court was erected 1616–18. Walnut Tree Building on the east side of the court dates from around 1617 and was the work of the architects Gilbert Wragge and Henry Mason at a cost of £886.9s. Only the ground floor of the original construction remains after a fire in 1777, so it was rebuilt from the first floor upwards between 1778–1782, and battlements were added to it in 1823. This court was formerly the site of a Cambridge Whitefriars (Carmelite) friary founded in 1292, but is now the location of the College Chapel and various fellows' and students’ rooms. The walnut tree in the court stands on the line of a former wall of the friary, and was a replacement of an older one in the same position after which the court was named. The college chapel in Walnut Tree Court was designed by
George Frederick Bodley George Frederick Bodley (14 March 182721 October 1907) was an English Gothic Revival architect. He was a pupil of Sir George Gilbert Scott, and worked in partnership with Thomas Garner for much of his career. He was one of the founders of Watt ...
, built by Rattee and Kett and consecrated in 1891. It follows the traditional college chapel form of an aisle-less nave with rows of pews on either side, following the plan of monasteries, reflecting the origins of many colleges as a place for training priests for the ministry. The
triptych A triptych ( ; from the Greek adjective ''τρίπτυχον'' "''triptukhon''" ("three-fold"), from ''tri'', i.e., "three" and ''ptysso'', i.e., "to fold" or ''ptyx'', i.e., "fold") is a work of art (usually a panel painting) that is divided ...
of paintings on the altarpiece panel may originally have been part of a set of five paintings, are late-15th-century
Flemish Flemish (''Vlaams'') is a Low Franconian dialect cluster of the Dutch language. It is sometimes referred to as Flemish Dutch (), Belgian Dutch ( ), or Southern Dutch (). Flemish is native to Flanders, a historical region in northern Belgium; ...
, and are attributed to the 'master of the View of St Gudule'. They depict, from left to right, the
Agony in the Garden The Agony in the Garden of Gethsemane is an episode in the life of Jesus. After the Last Supper, Jesus enters a garden where he experiences great anguish and prays to be delivered from his impending death on the cross ("Take this cup from me") ...
of
Gethsemane Gethsemane () is a garden at the foot of the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem where, according to the four Gospels of the New Testament, Jesus underwent the agony in the garden and was arrested before his crucifixion. It is a place of great resona ...
, the
Resurrection of Jesus The resurrection of Jesus ( grc-x-biblical, ἀνάστασις τοῦ Ἰησοῦ) is the Christian belief that God raised Jesus on the third day after his crucifixion, starting – or restoring – his exalted life as Christ and Lo ...
, and Christ's Appearance to the Disciples.


Friar's Court

The College experienced a growth in student numbers during the 19th century, bringing with it the need for additional student accommodation. The President's second garden was taken as the site for new student accommodation called Friars' Building, designed by W. M. Fawcett and built in 1886. The building, named after the Cambridge Whitefriars, now accommodates 52 students and fellows. Friars' Building is flanked to the East by the Dokett Building. Dokett Building was designed by
Cecil Greenwood Hare Cecil Greenwood Hare (1875 – 14 July 1932) was an architect and designer based in England. Life He was born in Stamford, Lincolnshire in 1875, the son of John Thomas Hare (1844-1902) and Mary Ann. Bodley and Hare Hare was a pupil of the arch ...
and built in 1912 from thin red Daneshill brick with Corsham stone dressings and mullioned windows. It stands on the former site of almshouses which were maintained by benefaction from a former President of the college
Andrew Dokett Andrew DuckettAlso Doket, Dokket or Ducket, Doget or Dogett. (died 4 November 1484) was an English churchman and academic, who became the first President of Queens' College, Cambridge. Life He was principal and owner of St. Bernard's Hostel, of w ...
. The almshouses were demolished in 1911 to make way for the new building. On demolition of the almshouses, a fund was made available for payment of pensions – always to eight women — in accordance with the will of Dokett. In 2014, Dokett Building underwent major restorations, with the majority of the bricks in the building being replaced and the rooms being reconfigured. In 2019, railings were restored to the Queens' Lane elevation of Dokett Building. These railings were based on the original design of the railings outside Dokett Building in 1912, but at a lowered height to preserve sightlines from groundfloor windows. This building is largely occupied by second and third years, along with some fellows. The Erasmus Building completes what is now called Friar's Court on the West. It was designed by
Sir Basil Spence Sir Basil Urwin Spence, (13 August 1907 – 19 November 1976) was a Scottish architect, most notably associated with Coventry Cathedral in England and the Beehive in New Zealand, but also responsible for numerous other buildings in the Modern ...
and erected in 1959, and is notable for being the first college building on
the Backs The Backs is a picturesque area to the east of Queen's Road in the city of Cambridge, England, where several colleges of the University of Cambridge back on to the River Cam, their grounds covering both banks of the river. National Trust chairm ...
to be designed in the
Modernist Modernism is both a philosophical and arts movement that arose from broad transformations in Western society during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The movement reflected a desire for the creation of new forms of art, philosophy, an ...
tradition. The modern design of the building generated some controversy and the project encountered strong resistance at the time. It was officially opened by H.M.
The Queen Mother ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...
in June 1961. The lawn in front includes a crown bowling green laid out in the 16th century.


Cripps Court

Cripps Court, incorporating
Lyon Lyon,, ; Occitan: ''Lion'', hist. ''Lionés'' also spelled in English as Lyons, is the third-largest city and second-largest metropolitan area of France. It is located at the confluence of the rivers Rhône and Saône, to the northwest of t ...
Court (named after the late Queen Mother), was designed by Sir Philip Powell of Powell & Moya and built in stages between 1972 and 1988. In
style Style is a manner of doing or presenting things and may refer to: * Architectural style, the features that make a building or structure historically identifiable * Design, the process of creating something * Fashion, a prevailing mode of clothing ...
it houses a bar and gymnasium with squash courts, 171 student bedrooms, three fellows' flats, a solarium, dining hall and kitchens, various function rooms, a large multipurpose auditorium (The Fitzpatrick Hall) and three combination rooms (Junior for undergraduate students, Middle for postgraduates, and Senior for fellows). It was the benefaction of the Cripps Foundation and the largest building erected by the college. A fourth floor was added in 2007, providing student accommodation and fellows' offices.


Fisher Building

Named after St John Fisher, this was erected in 1936 and designed by G. C. Drinkwater. It continued the Queens' tradition of red brick. The window frames are of teak, and all internal woodwork is oak. It was the first student accommodation in Queens' to lie west of the river and was the first building in Queens' to have bathrooms and toilets on the staircase landings close to the student rooms. These were so obvious that it prompted the comment that the building "seemed to have been designed by a sanitary engineer".


The Mathematical Bridge

The
Mathematical Bridge The Mathematical Bridge is the popular name of a wooden footbridge in the southwest of central Cambridge, England. It bridges the River Cam about one hundred feet northwest of Silver Street Bridge and connects two parts of Queens' College. It ...
(officially named ''the Wooden Bridge'') crosses the River Cam and connects the older half of the college (affectionately referred to by students as the "dark side") with the newer western half (the "light side", officially known as "The Island"). It is part of one of the most photographed views in Cambridge; the typical photo being taken from the nearby
Silver Street ''Silver Street'' is a radio soap opera broadcast on the BBC Asian Network from 24 May 2004 to 26 March 2010. It was the first soap to be aimed at the British South Asian community, Broadcast history It was introduced in 2004 as part of the S ...
bridge. Popular fable is that the bridge was designed and built by
Sir Isaac Newton Sir Isaac Newton (25 December 1642 – 20 March 1726/27) was an English mathematician, physicist, astronomer, alchemist, theologian, and author (described in his time as a " natural philosopher"), widely recognised as one of the g ...
without the use of nuts or bolts, and at some point in the past students or fellows attempted to take the bridge apart and put it back together. The myth continues that the over-ambitious engineers were unable to match Newton's feat of engineering, and had to resort to fastening the bridge by nuts and bolts. This is why nuts and bolts can be seen in the bridge today. This story is false: the bridge was built of oak in 1749 by James Essex the Younger (1722–1784) to the design of the master carpenter William Etheridge (1709–1776), 22 years after Newton died. It was later repaired in 1866 due to decay and had to be completely rebuilt in 1905. The rebuild was to the same design except made from teak, and the stepped walkway was made sloped for increased wheelchair access. A handrail was added on one side to facilitate the
Queen Mother A queen mother is a former queen, often a queen dowager, who is the mother of the reigning monarch. The term has been used in English since the early 1560s. It arises in hereditary monarchies in Europe and is also used to describe a number of ...
crossing the bridge on her visits to the college. The boltheads are more visible in the post-1905 bridge which may have given rise to this failed reassembly myth.


Gallery

File:Presidents Lodge, Queens' College, Cambridge.JPG, The President's Lodge, as seen from Cloister Court File:Old Court in the snow..JPG, Old Court in the snow File:Queen' College sundial - geograph.co.uk 3292693.jpg, Sundial in Old Court File:Queens College Clock.jpg, Bell tower and clock above the War Memorial Library File:Queens' college.jpg, Cloister Court File:Queens College Cambridge chapel walnut tree court night.jpg, Chapel and Walnut Tree Court File:Silver Street - geograph.org.uk - 877805.jpg, Silver Street with Queens' on the left File:Fisher building at Queens' College.jpg, The Fisher Building viewed from Queens' Green File:Fisher Building Queens' College Cambridge.jpg File:Queens College Cambridge.jpg, Lyon Court File:Chapel, Queens' College, Cambridge.JPG, Queens' College Chapel


Academic profile

Queens' College accepts students from all academic disciplines. As in other Cambridge colleges, all candidates go through an interview process. Undergraduate applicants of some courses are required to take an admission test in advance. For example, from 2022 applicants in economics are expected to have taken the Test of Mathematics for University Admission before they can be admitted. As in all other Cambridge colleges, undergraduate education is based on the
tutorial system The tutorial system is a method of university education where the main teaching method is regular, very small group sessions. These are the core teaching sessions of a degree, and are supplemented by lectures, practicals and larger group classes. ...
. Most undergraduate supervisions are carried out in the college, though for some specialist subjects undergraduates may be sent to tutors in other colleges. The faculty and academic supervisors associated with the colleges play a very important part in the academic success of students. The college maintains strong ties with
Cambridge Judge Business School Cambridge Judge Business School is the business school of the University of Cambridge. The School is a provider of management education. It is named after Sir Paul Judge, a founding benefactor of the school. The School is considered to be par ...
and has a growing graduate community, including a lively mix of doctoral, medical and PGCE students. The College also maintains an extensive library, which supplements the university libraries. In 2016 Queens' ranked sixth in the
Tompkins Table The Tompkins Table is an annual ranking that lists the Colleges of the University of Cambridge in order of their undergraduate students' performances in that year's examinations. Two colleges— Darwin and Clare Hall—do not have undergraduat ...
, which ranks the 29 undergraduate Cambridge colleges according to the academic performance of their undergraduates. Its highest position was second and its average position has been fifth. In 2015, 28.8% of Queens' undergraduates achieved Firsts. Whereas, in 2019, the Firsts achievement raised to 32.58%.


Student life

The buildings of Queens' College include the chapel, the hall, two libraries, a bar, and common rooms for fellows, graduates and undergraduates. There are also extensive gardens, lawns, a sportsground and boat house. The college also owns its own punts which may be borrowed by students, fellows and staff. College accommodation is provided for all undergraduate and many graduate students, with the majority of undergraduate accommodation being on the main college site, and all other students usually live in the college residence located in Newnham village, a fifteen-minute walk from the central site. The college also owns several houses and flats in Cambridge, which are usually occupied by doctoral students and married couples. Members of the college can choose to dine either in the hall, where three-course meals are served and members must wear academic gowns, or in the buttery, where food can be purchased from a cafeteria-style buffet. Despite being an ancient college, Queens' is known for being among the more open and relaxed Cambridge colleges. The college provides facilities to support most sports and arts. Queens' has active student societies, known as the
Junior Combination Room A common room is a group into which students and the academic body are organised in some universities in the United Kingdom and Ireland—particularly collegiate universities such as Oxford and Cambridge, as well as the University of Bristo ...
and the Middle Combination Room, which represent the students and organise various activities for undergraduate and graduate students respectively. There are a variety of clubs ranging from wine tasting and amateur dramatics to the
Queens' College Boat Club Queens' College Boat Club (QCBC) is the rowing club for members of Queens' College, Cambridge. The current positions of the men's 1st VIII are 16th in the Lent Bumps and 14th in the May Bumps. The 1st women's VIII currently reside near the bo ...
. Queens' has a strong reputation for music and drama, with the Fitzpatrick Hall providing theatre and concert space for students and societies from across the university.


Sports

The college has a rich sporting history, enjoying much success in most of the major sports on offer in Cambridge. It has sports grounds, a boat-house, squash courts and gym. The college rowing club,
Queens' College Boat Club Queens' College Boat Club (QCBC) is the rowing club for members of Queens' College, Cambridge. The current positions of the men's 1st VIII are 16th in the Lent Bumps and 14th in the May Bumps. The 1st women's VIII currently reside near the bo ...
, is one of the oldest in the university with the earliest known record of the college boat club dates from 1831. The club's boathouse was built in 1986 and is shared with Magdalene College Boat Club. Like other Cambridge boat clubs it takes part in a number of annual rowing races on the River Cam,
Lent Bumps The Lent Bumps (also Lent Races, Lents) are a set of rowing races held annually on the River Cam in Cambridge. They began in 1887, after separating from the May Bumps, which are bumping races held in mid-June. Prior to the separation there had be ...
and
May Bumps The May Bumps (also May Races, Mays) are a set of rowing races, held annually on the River Cam in Cambridge, England. They began in 1887 after separating from the Lent Bumps, the equivalent bumping races held at the end of February or start of M ...
. Each year QCBC also hosts the Queens' Ergs competition in the
Michaelmas Term Michaelmas term is the first academic term of the academic year in a number of English-speaking universities and schools in the northern hemisphere, especially in the United Kingdom. Michaelmas term derives its name from the Feast of St Micha ...
, an 8x500m indoor rowing relay race open to novices only. It usually attracts over 1000 rowers, and is the second largest indoor rowing event in the UK. Queens' College Rugby Football Club (QCRFC), plays
Rugby Union Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In its m ...
against other Cambridge colleges in both league and knock-out competitions. The rugby club has produced several notable alumni including Irish international star Mike Gibson, former England captain John Spencer, Barry Holmes, Charles Nicholl and
Jamie Roberts Jamie Huw Roberts (born 8 November 1986) is a former Wales, Welsh rugby union player, who most recently played for the New South Wales Waratahs, Waratahs. His usual position is Rugby union positions#Centre, centre. Beginning in 2005, Roberts ...
. The college football club, QCAFC, part of the
Cambridge University Association Football League The Cambridge University Association Football League (CUAFL) is the governing body of football in the University of Cambridge in England. Introduction Modern football was developed on the playing fields of public schools and universities in t ...
(CUAFL), won the
Cuppers Cuppers are intercollegiate sporting competitions at the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge. The term comes from the word "cup" and is an example of the Oxford "-er". Each sport holds only one Cuppers competition each year, which is open to all ...
knockout cup competition in 2010–11 and the CUAFL Premier League title in 2015–16. Queens' is also traditionally strong in cricket, with QCCC playing their home games on the cricket ground in the Barton Road playing fields.


May Ball

The college hosts a large, lavish
May Ball A May Ball is a ball at the end of the academic year that takes place at any of the colleges of the University of Cambridge. They are elaborate and lavish formal affairs, requiring black tie or sometimes white tie, with ticket prices ranging fro ...
every two years. In recent years, due to popularity, tickets have been available only to Queens' members and their guests. Highlights include an extravagant fireworks display and a variety of musical acts; Florence and the Machine,
Bombay Bicycle Club Bombay Bicycle Club are an English indie rock band from Crouch End, London, consisting of Jack Steadman, Jamie MacColl, Suren de Saram, and Ed Nash. They are guitar-fronted and have experimented with different genres, including folk, electro ...
,
Kaiser Chiefs Kaiser Chiefs are an English indie rock band from Leeds who formed in 2000 as Parva, releasing one studio album, ''22'', in 2003, before renaming and establishing themselves in their current name that same year. Since their formation the band h ...
,
Alex Clare Alexander George Clare (c. 1985) is an English singer and songwriter. His debut album, '' The Lateness of the Hour'', was released in the UK on 11 July 2011 on Island Records and was produced by Mike Spencer and Major Lazer. His biggest hit, " ...
,
JP Cooper John Paul Cooper (born 1 November 1983) is an English singer and songwriter. He is best known for featuring on the Jonas Blue single " Perfect Strangers". The song was certified platinum in the UK. His follow-up solo single was " September Song" ...
, and
Klaxons Klaxons were an English rock band, based in London. Following the release of several 7-inch singles on different independent record labels, as well as the success of previous singles " Magick" and "Golden Skans", the band released their debut ...
have played at the event. 2013 marked the centenary of Queens' May Ball, the event was
white tie White tie, also called full evening dress or a dress suit, is the most formal in traditional evening western dress codes. For men, it consists of a black tail coat (alternatively referred to as a dress coat, usually by tailors) worn over a wh ...
and the entertainment included
Simon Amstell Simon Marc Amstell (born 29 November 1979) is a British comedian, writer and director. He wrote and directed the films '' Carnage'' (2017) and ''Benjamin'' (2018). His work on television has included presenting '' Popworld'' and '' Never Mind th ...
and
Bastille The Bastille (, ) was a fortress in Paris, known formally as the Bastille Saint-Antoine. It played an important role in the internal conflicts of France and for most of its history was used as a state prison by the kings of France. It was stor ...
.


Traditions


College grace

The college grace is customarily said before and after dinner in the hall. The reading of grace before dinner () is usually the duty of a scholar of the college; grace after dinner () is said by the President or the senior fellow dining. The grace is said shortly after the fellows enter the hall, signalled by the sounding of a gong. The ''Ante Prandium'' is read after the fellows have entered, the ''Post Prandium'' after they have finished dining. However, the last grace is almost never used. A simpler English after-dinner grace is now said: ''For these and all his mercies, for the queens our foundresses and for our other benefactors, God's holy name be blessed and praised. God preserve our Queen and Church.''


College rivalry

The college maintains a friendly rivalry with St Catharine's College after the construction of the main court of St Catharine's College on Cambridge's former High Street relegated one side of Queens' College into a back alley.


College stamps

Queens' was one of only three Cambridge colleges (the others being Selwyn and St John's) to issue its own stamps. From 1883 the college issued its own stamps to be sold to members of the college so that they could pre-pay the cost of a college messenger delivering their mail. This was instead of placing charges for deliveries on to members' accounts, to be paid at the end of each term. The practice was stopped in 1886 by the British Post Office as it was decided that it was in contravention of the Post Office monopoly.


Queen Mother's standard

When the college patroness,
Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother Elizabeth Angela Marguerite Bowes-Lyon (4 August 1900 – 30 March 2002) was Queen of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 to 6 February 1952 as the wife of King George VI. She was the l ...
died, she gave the college the right to fly her personal standard in her memory on the first day of
Michaelmas term Michaelmas term is the first academic term of the academic year in a number of English-speaking universities and schools in the northern hemisphere, especially in the United Kingdom. Michaelmas term derives its name from the Feast of St Micha ...
each year.


Walking on the grass

Unlike at most Oxbridge colleges, not even fellows may walk on the grass.


People associated with the college


Notable former students

File:Holbein-erasmus.jpg,
Erasmus Desiderius Erasmus Roterodamus (; ; English: Erasmus of Rotterdam or Erasmus;''Erasmus'' was his baptismal name, given after St. Erasmus of Formiae. ''Desiderius'' was an adopted additional name, which he used from 1496. The ''Roterodamus'' wa ...
, humanist, priest, social critic, teacher, and theologian. File:Edward-de-Vere-1575.jpg, Edward de Vere, peer and courtier of the Elizabethan era. File:John Whitgift from NPG.jpg, John Whitgift, Archbishop of Canterbury. File:Sir Oliver Cromwell (1563–1655).jpg, Sir Oliver Cromwell, Member of Parliament (UK), Member of Parliament File:Thomas Perronet Thompson.png, Thomas Perronet Thompson, British Member of Parliament (United Kingdom), Parliamentarian and Governor of Sierra Leone File:Alexander Crummel (cropped).png, Alexander Crummell, minister, academic, and Black people in Cambridge, first black graduate of Cambridge University File:Stanford-Bassano-1921.jpg, Charles Villiers Stanford, Irish composer. File:Abba Eban 1970.jpg,
Abba Eban Abba Solomon Meir Eban (; he, אבא אבן ; born Aubrey Solomon Meir Eban; 2 February 1915 – 17 November 2002) was an Israeli diplomat and politician, and a scholar of the Arabic and Hebrew languages. During his career, he served as For ...
, Israeli politician. File:Stephen Fry Book Signing.jpg,
Stephen Fry Stephen John Fry (born 24 August 1957) is an English actor, broadcaster, comedian, director and writer. He first came to prominence in the 1980s as one half of the comic double act Fry and Laurie, alongside Hugh Laurie, with the two starring ...
, actor, author and comedian. File:Awn Shawkat Al Khasawneh - World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2012.jpg, Awn Shawkat Al-Khasawneh, former Prime Minister of Jordan. File:Michael Foale - official astronaut portrait.jpg, Michael Foale, a NASA astronaut. File:Karenduff.jpg, Karen Duff, British people, British scientist File:Richard Dearlove1.JPG, Sir Richard Dearlove, former head of MI6. File:Mohamed A. El-Erian at the World Economic Forum Summit on the Global Agenda 2008.jpg,
Mohamed A. El-Erian Mohamed Aly El-Erian ( ar, محمد العريان, Muḥammad al-ʿAryān; born August 19, 1958) is an Egyptian-American economist and businessman. He is President of Queens' College, Cambridge, and chief economic adviser at Allianz, the corpor ...
, former CEO and co-CIO of PIMCO. File:Prince Salman bin Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa (cropped).jpg, Salman bin Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, Prince Salman bin Hamad al Khalifa, Prime Minister of Bahrain. File:Official portrait of Lord Falconer of Thoroton crop 2.jpg, Charles Falconer, Baron Falconer of Thoroton, Lord Falconer, former Lord Chancellor. File:Andrew Bailey.jpg, Andrew Bailey,
Governor of the Bank of England The governor of the Bank of England is the most senior position in the Bank of England. It is nominally a civil service post, but the appointment tends to be from within the bank, with the incumbent grooming their successor. The governor of the Ba ...
File:Bourne 3 Premiere Greengrass.jpg, Paul Greengrass, Oscar-nominated film director and screenwriter. File:Official portrait of Stephen Kinnock MP crop 2.jpg, Stephen Kinnock, Welsh Labour Member of Parliament (United Kingdom), MP File:Emily Maitlis Reporting from Leadership Debate Bristol 2010.jpg,
Emily Maitlis Emily Maitlis (born 6 September 1970) is a British journalist, documentary filmmaker, and former newsreader for the BBC. She was the lead anchor until the end of 2021 of ''Newsnight'', the BBC Two news and current affairs programme. Early lif ...
, a British journalist and newsreader. File:Official portrait of Liz Kendall crop 2.jpg,
Liz Kendall Elizabeth Louise Kendall (born 11 June 1971) is a British Labour Party politician who has been Member of Parliament (MP) for Leicester West since 2010. Kendall was educated at Queens' College, Cambridge, where she read history. From 2011 to 2 ...
, Labour MP and former leadership contender. File:Official portrait of Julia Lopez MP crop 2.jpg, Julia Lopez (politician), Julia Lopez, Conservative Party (UK), Conservative Member of Parliament (United Kingdom), MP File:Vuk Jeremić na konvenciji u Beogradu.jpg, Vuk Jeremić, President of the United Nations General Assembly. File:Hannah Murray - IFFR 2015-1.jpg, Hannah Murray, actress


Presidents

File:John Fisher (painting).jpg, Saint
John Fisher John Fisher (c. 19 October 1469 – 22 June 1535) was an English Catholic bishop, cardinal, and theologian. Fisher was also an academic and Chancellor of the University of Cambridge. He was canonized by Pope Pius XI. Fisher was executed by o ...
, president of Queens' 1505–1508. File:Herbert Palmer.jpg, Herbert Palmer (Puritan), Herbert Palmer, president of Queens' 1644–1647. File:Anthony Sparrow.jpg, Anthony Sparrow, president of Queens' 1662–1667. File:Isaac Milner by Johann Gottlieb Facius, 1798 (cropped).png, Isaac Milner, president of Queens' 1788–1820. File:Joshua-King.gif, Joshua King, president of Queens' 1832–1857. File:William Campion (1820–1896.jpg, William Magan Campion, president of Queens' 1892–1896. File:Herbert-edward-ryle.jpg, Herbert Edward Ryle, Herbert Ryle, president of Queens' 1896–1901. File:Official portrait of Lord Oxburgh crop 2.jpg, Ronald Oxburgh, Baron Oxburgh, Lord Oxburgh, president of Queens' 1982-1989. File:Johnpolkinghorne.jpg, Sir John Polkinghorne, president of Queens' 1988–1996. File:Official portrait of Lord Eatwell crop 2.jpg, John Eatwell, Baron Eatwell, Lord Eatwell, president of Queens' 1997''-''2020. File:Mohamed A. El-Erian MSC 2019.jpg, Dr
Mohamed A. El-Erian Mohamed Aly El-Erian ( ar, محمد العريان, Muḥammad al-ʿAryān; born August 19, 1958) is an Egyptian-American economist and businessman. He is President of Queens' College, Cambridge, and chief economic adviser at Allianz, the corpor ...
, president of Queens' 2020–present.


Royal patronesses

The college enjoyed royal patronage in its early years. Then, after a 425-year break, Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon became the college patron to mark the 550th anniversary of the college's foundation. A portrait of the late Queen Mother by June Mendoza hangs in the Common Room (university), Senior Combination Room and the most recent court to be built in college, Lyon Court, is named after her. Queen Elizabeth II was a patron of the college from 2003 until her Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, death in 2022.


In popular culture

The college has made its way into literature, film and television. *''Darkness at Pemberley'' (1932 novel) by T. H. White features St Bernard's College, a fictionalised version of Queens' College. *In 1984, Queens' was the subject of an eight-part British Broadcasting Corporation, BBC fly-on-the-wall documentary entitled ''Queens': A Cambridge College''. *In the American action-thriller film ''The Bourne Supremacy'' (2004), the first of a trilogy featuring Robert Ludlum’s Jason Bourne character, there are numerous visual cues and oblique references to various Cambridge colleges, but predominantly Queens’, where the director Paul Greengrass and one of the producers were both students in the mid-1970s. *''Eskimo Day'' (1996 TV Drama), written by Jack Rosenthal, and starring Maureen Lipman, Tom Wilkinson, and Alec Guinness, is about the relationship between parents and teenagers during an admissions interview day at Queens' College. There was also a sequel, ''Cold Enough for Snow'' (1997). *''Starter for 10 (film), Starter for 10'' (2006 film) starring James McAvoy includes the filming of a University Challenge episode between Queens' College and Bristol University. *In ''Kingdom (2007 TV series), Kingdom'' (2007–2009 TV series), created by Simon Wheeler and Alan Whiting, solicitor Peter Kingdom (played by
Stephen Fry Stephen John Fry (born 24 August 1957) is an English actor, broadcaster, comedian, director and writer. He first came to prominence in the 1980s as one half of the comic double act Fry and Laurie, alongside Hugh Laurie, with the two starring ...
) and his brother (Dominic Mafham) are both Cambridge graduates. In the fourth episode of the first series, Kingdom returns to Cambridge and meets his old tutor (Richard Wilson (Scottish actor), Richard Wilson), when one of his clients alleges that her daughter has been rejected by his old college purely because of her working-class background. Although the college is never identified, it is Queens', where Fry himself was a student, that appears on screen. *Old Hall was used as the backdrop to the music video, Things We Lost in the Fire (song), Things We Lost in the Fire, by the band
Bastille The Bastille (, ) was a fortress in Paris, known formally as the Bastille Saint-Antoine. It played an important role in the internal conflicts of France and for most of its history was used as a state prison by the kings of France. It was stor ...
—backing vocals were provided by the Queens' College Chapel Choir, Cambridge, College Choir *The College is the backdrop for the '' Secret Diary of a Porter Girl '' blog, created by Lucy Brazier a former Porter (college), deputy head porter.


See also

* List of Organ Scholars at British Universities and Colleges#Queens' College, Cambridge, List of organ scholars


References


External links

* {{authority control Queens' College, Cambridge, Colleges of the University of Cambridge Educational institutions established in the 15th century 1448 establishments in England Grade I listed buildings in Cambridge Grade I listed educational buildings