Today, 15th April, is the anniversary of Queens' College foundation!
This means that we are moving towards celebrating the #Queens575 anniversary in 2023!
On 15th April 1448, the Charter of Queen Margaret of Anjou (pictured) was granted to found the Queen’s College of St Margaret and St Bernard, as it was then called.
The notable shift of the apostrophe to after the 's' took place in 1465, thanks to the second foundation courtesy of Queen Elizabeth Woodville, who became our second Patroness after Queen Margaret.
The foundation stone of the College was laid on 15th April 1448. Queen Margaret of Anjou herself was due to lay the foundation stone but decided not to, sending instead Sir John Wenlock, her chamberlain. One historian has suggested that this decision may have been influenced by an outbreak of plague persuading her not to travel.
Later in the same year, building work was completed on the first part of Old Court, comprising the Libary, Chapel, E staircase, the Gatehouse,
A staircase and part of B staircase. The Library is now housed in the original Chapel building, whilst the modern Chapel was constructed on the far side of Walnut Tree Court towards the end of the nineteenth century.
More information about the history and buildings of the College is on our website.