The archives of college are reported to contain this item:
In 1736, Dr Sedgwick [President 1732–60], received a letter desiring me to send him word whether we could not put in as good a claim to any marks of Favour from Her Majesty as Queen’s College in Oxford, to which Her Majesty [Queen Caroline, consort of King George II] has lately given £2000.
[In 1733–4, Queen Caroline had given The Queen’s College Oxford £1000, and promised another £1000 which never materialised]
Dr Sedgwick drafted a reply, dated 1736 February 14. After mentioning the two Queens Consort who had been foundresses of the College, and also other Queens who had had some connection with the College, he continued:
All we have had from ym has been ye Honour of a visit which we always lay claim to whenever they come to ye University. Ye last Honour done us of ye kind was by Queen Catharine in K. Charles ye 2ds. time, of which we still retain a Tradition yt her Majesty being at ye Lodge and wanting to make use of a Chamber pot, Dr. James [President 1675–1717] not being provided of one Handsome enough, made her wait till he sent to King’s Coll: to borrow a Silver one for her use. She retired into ye Room, now my Study, formerly call’d ye Essex from Q. Eliz’s Earl, and Dr. James afterwards Christened it (I suppose with some of Her Majesty’s Water) “In perpetuam rei memoriam, ye Queen’s Chamber”, which name it still retains.
…… I cannot but think yt in Reason we have a much better claim to ye Honour of being under Her Majesty’s Patronage than a College founded only by a Queen Consort’s Confessor, and I hope our Behaviour has not disqualified us for Her Royal Protection and Favour.