Queens' College, Cambridge Facts for Kids

"Queens' College" redirects here. For other uses, see Queen's College.

Quick facts for kids

Queens' College

Queens' College Gatehouse

Arms of Queens' College, being the arms of Margaret of Anjou

University

University of Cambridge

Location

Silver Street (map)

Full name

The Queen's College of St Margaret and St Bernard

Abbreviation

Motto

Floreat Domus (Latin)

Motto in English

May this house flourish

Founders

Margaret of Anjou (1448)
Elizabeth Woodville (1465)

Established

1448; 576 years ago
Refounded 1465

Named after

Margaret the Virgin
Bernard of Clairvaux

Sister colleges

Pembroke College, Oxford
Ezra Stiles College, Yale

President

Mohamed A. El-Erian

Undergraduates

508

Postgraduates

522

Map

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Queens' College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Queens' is one of the oldest colleges of the university, founded in 1448 by Margaret of Anjou, and has some of the most iconic and recognisable buildings in Cambridge. The college spans the river Cam, colloquially referred to as the "light side" and the "dark side", with the Mathematical Bridge connecting the two.

The college's alumni include heads of government and politicians from various countries, royalty, religious leaders, astronauts and Oscar nominees. One of its most famous matriculants is Desiderius Erasmus, who studied at the college during his trips to England between 1506 and 1515.

Other notable alumni include Arthurian author T. H. White, Cambridge University's first black graduate Alexander Crummell, Israeli politician Abba Eban, founding father of Ghana William Ofori Atta, newsreader and journalist Emily Maitlis, actor Stephen Fry, Governor of the Bank of England Andrew Bailey, and British Parliamentarians such as Stephen Kinnock and Liz Kendall.

As of June 2016^[update], the college held non-current assets valued at £111.18 million.

The current president of the college is the senior economist and alumnus Mohamed A. El-Erian. Past presidents include Saint John Fisher.

Images for kids

Bird's eye view of Queens' College, Cambridge by David Loggan, published in 1690.
Plan of Queens' College, 1574
The Badge of Queens' College
Cloister Court
Moondial in Old Court
Queens' Great Gate
Walnut Tree Court
Essex Building as viewed from Silver Street
The Mathematical Bridge
Cloister Court lit up during the 2013 Queens' May Ball
Queens' College Boat House
BΔSTILLE performing at the 2013 May Ball
Queens' College stamps
The Cloister Court at night, woodcut by P. B Redmayne, 1921.
The President's Lodge, as seen from Cloister Court
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
The Fisher Building viewed from Queens' Green
Lyon Court
Queens' College Chapel
Erasmus, humanist, priest, social critic, teacher, and theologian.
Edward de Vere, peer and courtier of the Elizabethan era.
John Whitgift, Archbishop of Canterbury.
Sir Oliver Cromwell, Member of Parliament
Thomas Perronet Thompson, British Parliamentarian and Governor of Sierra Leone
Alexander Crummell, minister, academic, and first black graduate of Cambridge University
Charles Villiers Stanford, Irish composer.
Abba Eban, Israeli politician.
Stephen Fry, actor, author and comedian.
Awn Shawkat Al-Khasawneh, former Prime Minister of Jordan.
Michael Foale, a NASA astronaut.
Karen Duff, British scientist
Sir Richard Dearlove, former head of MI6.
Mohamed A. El-Erian, former CEO and co-CIO of PIMCO.
Prince Salman bin Hamad al Khalifa, Prime Minister of Bahrain.
Lord Falconer, former Lord Chancellor.
Andrew Bailey, Governor of the Bank of England
Paul Greengrass, Oscar-nominated film director and screenwriter.
Stephen Kinnock, Welsh Labour MP
Emily Maitlis, a British journalist and newsreader.
Liz Kendall, Labour MP and former leadership contender.
Julia Lopez, Conservative MP
Vuk Jeremić, President of the United Nations General Assembly.
Hannah Murray, actress
Saint John Fisher, president of Queens' 1505–1508.
Herbert Palmer, president of Queens' 1644–1647.
Anthony Sparrow, president of Queens' 1662–1667.
Isaac Milner, president of Queens' 1788–1820.
Joshua King, president of Queens' 1832–1857.
William Magan Campion, president of Queens' 1892–1896.
Herbert Ryle, president of Queens' 1896–1901.
Lord Oxburgh, president of Queens' 1982-1989.
Sir John Polkinghorne, president of Queens' 1988–1996.
Lord Eatwell, president of Queens' 1997-2020.
Dr Mohamed A. El-Erian, president of Queens' 2020–present.

Queens' College, Cambridge facts for kids

Images for kids

See also