Queens' College, Cambridge

Queens' College is one of the older colleges at the University of Cambridge. It was founded in 1448 by Margaret of Anjou. The college's buildings are special because they are connected across the River Cam by the Mathematical Bridge and Silver Street.

Many famous people studied at Queens' College. Desiderius Erasmus, a well-known thinker, studied there between 1506 and 1515. Other well-known graduates include author T. H. White, Israeli politician Abba Eban, and actor Stephen Fry.

The college is also known for its achievements in science. Sir Demis Hassabis, a graduate of Queens' College, won a Nobel Prize in 2024 for his work on artificial intelligence.

Queens' College is a registered charity and, as of June 2024, it had assets worth £197 million. The current leader of the college is Dame Menna Rawlings, a former British Ambassador to France. In the past, the college was led by important figures such as John Fisher, a Catholic martyr.

History

Queens' College was started in 1448 by Margaret of Anjou. Later, in 1465, another queen, Elizabeth Woodville, helped to restart it. This is why the college is spelled "Queens'" with an apostrophe, not "Queen's". The full name is "The Queen's College of St Margaret and St Bernard".

Over the years, many buildings were added, like the library and chapel. In the 1600s, it became popular with important families. Sadly, during the English Civil War, the college sent its silver to help the king, and leaders were removed but returned later.

Fires and floods happened, but the college kept growing. In 1823, the name changed to Queens'. New groups started, like a boat club in 1831 and a music society in 1884. In 1980, women were allowed to join the college for the first time.

Coat of arms

The coat of arms of Queens' College shows symbols from the family of Margaret of Anjou, the college's founder. These symbols include different parts representing old kingdoms and lands. One special part shows gold on silver, which is unusual in old symbol designs.

Badge

The college also uses a silver boar's head as a symbol, which first appeared in 1544. The badge includes a gold cross for St Margaret and a gold crozier for St Bernard, the college's patron saints. This symbol is often used by college clubs and in dining areas.

Buildings and location

Queens’ College is one of the oldest colleges in Cambridge, built starting in 1448. Its buildings include Old Court, which has all the parts of a medieval college in one spot: places to live, a dining hall, kitchens, a library, and a chapel. Unlike some other colleges that added older buildings later, Queens’ was built all at once as a full college.

Today, Queens’ has some of the most famous buildings in Cambridge, mixing medieval architecture and modern architecture in big gardens. It is one of two colleges in Cambridge that has buildings on both sides of the River Cam (the other is St John's). The two sides are connected by the Mathematical Bridge. People call the sides the “light side” and the “dark side”. Queens’ is found to the south of central Cambridge, and it is the second college from the south on the River Cam, mostly on the east side.

Cloister Court

The President’s Lodge is the oldest building on the river at Cambridge, made around 1460. It is part of Cloister Court. The Cloister walks were built in the 1490s to link the Old Court of 1448/9 with buildings by the river from the 1460s, making Cloister Court.

Old Court

Old Court was built between 1448 and 1451. It was likely designed by builder Reginald Ely, who also worked on other famous buildings nearby. Queens’ Old Court was made with a cheaper material called clunch and red brick, while another big college nearby used very expensive stone. Queens’ was finished quickly, but the other college’s main building was never done.

The War Memorial Library is now the student library. It used to be the original chapel. It was named to honor students and members of Queens’ who served in the Second World War. Before the 1940s, the student library was elsewhere.

Old Library

Main article: Queens' College Old Library

The Old Library was built in 1448 as part of Old Court, between the President’s Lodge and the first chapel. It is one of the earliest libraries built just for books in Cambridge. It holds about 20,000 old books and papers. Many of the printed books still have their original covers because Queens’ has not been rich enough to re-cover them all. The library also has some of the oldest English celestial globes, once owned by a math teacher named Sir Thomas Smith, and old reading desks turned into bookshelves.

Walnut Tree Court

Walnut Tree Court was built between 1616 and 1618. The Walnut Tree Building on the east side dates from around 1617. After a fire in 1777, the building was partly rebuilt between 1778 and 1782, and got battlements in 1823. This area was once a place for religious people called Cambridge Whitefriars, started in 1292, but is now where the college chapel and rooms for teachers and students are. The walnut tree in the court is where an older tree once stood, giving the court its name.

College Chapel

The college chapel in Walnut Tree Court was designed in 1886 by George Frederick Bodley, built by Rattee and Kett, and finished in 1891. It has old stained glass made by C.E. Kempe. The chapel is set up like old monasteries, with rows of seats on each side.

Friar's Court

The college grew in the 1800s, needing more rooms for students. A garden area was turned into student rooms called Friars’ Building, designed in 1886. It holds 52 students and teachers.

Friars’ Building is next to Dokett Building to the east. Dokett Building was designed in 1912 by Cecil Greenwood Hare and built with red bricks. It replaced old buildings called almshouses. In 2014, Dokett Building was fixed up, and in 2019, its fences were restored.

The Erasmus Building finishes Friar’s Court on the west side. It was designed in 1959 by Sir Basil Spence and was the first college building on the Backs made in a modern style. It was opened by the Queen Mother in 1961.

Cripps Court

Cripps Court was designed by Philip Powell and built between 1972 and 1988. It includes rooms for students and teachers, a dining area, kitchens, and a big room for events. A fourth floor was added in 2007 for more rooms.

Fisher Building

Fisher Building was built in 1936 and designed by G. C. Drinkwater. It was the first student building west of the river and the first with bathrooms near the student rooms.

The Mathematical Bridge

The Mathematical Bridge crosses the River Cam, linking the older “dark side” to the newer “light side” of the college. Many people think it was built by Sir Isaac Newton without using nuts or bolts, but this is not true. It was really built in 1749 by James Essex the Younger, using oak wood. The bridge was repaired in 1866 and rebuilt in 1905 using teak wood.

Gallery

Ceiling of the old hall

Old Court in the snow

Sundial in Old Court

Bell tower and clock above the War Memorial Library

Cloister Court

Chapel and Walnut Tree Court

Silver Street with Queens' on the left

Queens' Green

Essex Building as viewed from Silver Street

Lyon Court

The Old Library

Walnut Tree Building, erected 1616–19

Cripps Court

Academic profile

Queens' College welcomes students from all subjects. Like other colleges at Cambridge, students must go through an interview, and some courses require a test before admission. For instance, economics applicants have needed to take the Test of Mathematics for University Admission since 2022.

Students learn through small group lessons called tutorials. Most of these happen at the college, but some specialized subjects may have lessons at other colleges. Teachers and supervisors are very important for students' success. The college works closely with the Cambridge Judge Business School and has many graduate students, including those studying medicine and teaching. Queens' also has a big library to help students.

In 2021, Queens' College ranked sixth in the Tompkins Table, which compares how well students at Cambridge colleges do. The college’s best rank was second, and on average it was fifth. In 2022, 31.5% of students earned the highest grade.

Student life

Queens' College has many buildings including a chapel, a hall, two libraries, a bar, and common rooms for students and teachers. There are also big gardens, lawns, a sports ground, and a boat house. Students, teachers, and staff can borrow the college's punts for fun.

The college provides places to live for most students. Undergraduates usually stay on the main college site, while others live in a place called Owlstone Croft in the village of Newnham, just a short walk away. The college also has houses and flats in Cambridge for older students and couples. Students can choose to eat in the hall, where they wear special clothes, or in a cafeteria-style area.

Queens' College is known for being friendly and relaxed. It has many clubs and societies for students to join, including groups for music, drama, and sports. The Fitzpatrick Hall is a special place where students can watch shows and listen to concerts.

The college has sports grounds, a boat house, squash courts, and a gym. The rowing club, the Queens' College Boat Club, is one of the oldest in the university and races on the River Cam during events called Lent Bumps and May Bumps. The rugby and football teams also play against other colleges. The college is good at cricket too.

Every two years, the college holds a special party called a May Ball. It is very popular, so only college members and their guests can get tickets. The party includes fireworks and live music from famous bands. In 2013, the college celebrated 100 years of holding the May Ball with a special white-tie event.

Traditions

The Queens' College has special traditions that students and teachers follow. Before and after meals, they often say a short thank-you message called a "college grace." This is usually done by a special student or the college leader.

The college also has a friendly contest with another college nearby. This started when a new building changed the layout of the streets.

In the past, the college made its own special stamps for sending mail, but this stopped many years ago.

Each year on a special day, the college flies a flag to remember a kind queen who supported it.

At this college, even teachers are not allowed to walk on the grass, which is different from most other colleges.

People associated with the college

Notable former students

Main category: Alumni of Queens' College, Cambridge

Queens' College has had many famous students over the years. Some well-known people include Erasmus, a writer and teacher, and T. H. White, who wrote The Once and Future King. Other notable students are Stephen Fry, a comedian and actor, and Michael Foale, a NASA astronaut. The college also counts Demis Hassabis, who won a Nobel Prize in Chemistry, among its former students.

Presidents

For a more comprehensive list, see List of Presidents of Queens' College, Cambridge.

See also: Category:Fellows of Queens' College, Cambridge

The leaders of Queens' College, known as Presidents, have included important figures such as Saint John Fisher, Isaac Milner, and Lord Oxburgh. Recent Presidents include Lord Eatwell and Dr Mohamed A. El-Erian, with Dame Menna Rawlings serving as the current President.

Royal patronesses

The college had royal support in its early days. After a long break, Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon became a patron to celebrate the college's 550th anniversary. Queen Elizabeth II was also a patron from 2003 until her passing in 2022.

In popular culture

Queens' College has appeared in many books, films, and TV shows. The college was used as a setting in the novel Darkness at Pemberley by T. H. White. In 1984, the BBC made a documentary called Queens': A Cambridge College about the college. The film The Bourne Supremacy includes references to Queens' College. The TV drama Eskimo Day shows what happens during an admissions interview day at the college. The movie Starter for 10 features a competition between Queens' College and Bristol University. In the TV series Kingdom, a character returns to his old college in Cambridge. The college was also used in a music video by the band Bastille and in a blog called Secret Diary of a Porter Girl. Most recently, Queens' College appears in the 2024 BBC comedy drama Ludwig.