Queen Victoria & Prince Albert's Visit to Cambridge: Wednesday 25th & Thursday 26th October 1843

Queen Victoria & Prince Albert
1st March 1861

On Wednesday 25th October 1843 Queen Victoria and Prince Albert set out from London to visit Cambridge. As they arrived just beyond Royston, at the Cambridgeshire county boundary , they were reported to have been greeted by between 2000 - 4000 horsemen. Almost every parish in the county had sent out riders to escort The Queen to Cambridge.

It is recorded that Cambridge was in a carnival mood, determined to give a rapturous welcome to the first reigning British monarch to visit the town since 1728. The Queen and Prince were greeted by huge crowds, decorations everywhere, and a triumphal arch set up in Trumpington Street along their route to Trinity College, where they were to stay the night.

On arriving at Trinity The Queen and Prince were greeted by a brief moment of silence, followed by a loud cheer, that is said to have reverberated across every corner of the court.

The welcome was followed by 'loyal addresses' in the college hall. The Queen sat on what was called a 'throne' ( really Richard Bentley's old chair ). Next was a service at King's College Chapel. The Queen sat, so she was told, in the same chair in which Queen Elizabeth had sat in 1564. It was then back to Trinity and an impromptu by candlelight. That night the townsfolk celebrated with a firework display on Parker's Piece.

The next morning The Queen and Prince arrived at Senate House at 10am, where they were met with a massive explosion of applause from the crowd. The Queen, who was no Latin scholar, could not quite conceal her boredom at the lengthy Latin speeches which took place as Prince Albert received a honorary doctorate of law from the Vice-Chancellor, Dr. William Whewell.

After leaving the Senate House The Queen and Prince were taken to the Geological Museum close by, where they were greeted Adam Sedgwick.

Adam Sedgwick later said: ' I bowed as low as my anatomy would let me... The Queen seemed happy and well pleased, and was mightily taken with one or two of my monsters, especially with the Plesiosaurus and gigantic stag.'

The Royal couple then decided before they leave Cambridge they must see King's College Chapel again. From King's the carriage drove along the backs, to enter St. John's College at the rear. A tour of St. John's and the Wren library, was to conclude the morning for The Queen, but The Prince found time to visit another four colleges before lunch.

After lunch large crowds gathered as they watched the Royal couple journey to Corpus Christi College in the afternoon, before going on to the Round Church. Prince Albert found time to visit King's College Chapel for the third time, before the royal couple left for Wimpole Hall, where they spent a day.
 

  

Queen Elizabeth I's visit to Cambridge

The young Queen Elizabeth came to Cambridge in the summer of 1564 with the intention of spending a few nights in King's College. It was said the whole of Cambridge was full of excitement with the news of the Queen's visit.

Detailed instructions as to how the university was to entertain the young Queen were sent by Sir William Cecil.  All the Scholars had to cry out as the Queen passed them 'Vivat Regina!' which means 'Long live the Queen' and then they were to lower themselves and kneel while an orator was to tell the Queen how happy they were to see her.

Elizabeth I, Darnley Portrait, c1575

Each of the fourteen colleges at that time made its own plans and preparations for the hundreds of courtiers and servants who would be accompanying the Queen, who would all somehow need to be accommodated.

The town was said to be busy itself getting ready for the Queens visit, which included sanding the streets, painting the market cross, laying in stocks of beer, buying sugar loaves to give to the leading courtiers and a silver cup for the Queen, to be filled with coins called angels.

On Saturday August 5th the royal procession made its way from Haslingfield to Grantchester. The Mayor met the Queen near the hamlet of Newnham and it is said that at Newnham mill she changed horses.

There are notes to say that trumpeters sounded fanfares and crowds of people all cheered as the Queen rode into Cambridge.

It is also said church bells began to sound as she entered Cambridge, but the churchwardens of Great St. Mary's received a fine for not ringing as the Queen entered the town.

She entered King's College Chapel, which her father Henry VIII had completed, and she is said to have praised it above all others in her realm.

The Queen stayed in the Provest's lodge at King's and had only a few yards to walk the next morning to chapel for Sunday service.

Monday 7th August saw entertainment put on for the Queen in Great St. Mary's, the university church. As she entered, the graduates knelt and cried out 'Vivat Regina!'.

Nothing public was done the next day apart from at 9pm, when an English play called 'Ezechias' by Nicholas Udall was put on by King's college men.

The Queen apparently decided to stay a day longer in Cambridge, so pleased was she with things.

On Wednesday 9th August the Queen took her progress about the colleges, riding in state royal, where all the lords and gentlemen were riding before her and all the ladies followed on horseback.

The Queen is said to have ridden into each college, beginning with Clare, where she was to receive a oration in Latin. In Trinity, the newest college, she was able to see how the work was progressing on the new chapel. At St John's college she rode right into the hall.  She left out Jesus College because it stood too far out of the way.

The Queen the rode on to Christ's College for an oration in Greek and she was given a pair of gloves in memory of her great grandmother, Lady Margaret Beaufort. She then went via Market Hill to Corpus Christi College, where she was to receive another pair of gloves, then on to Pembrooke for a Latin oration, the same at Peterhouse, where it was spoken by one of the youngest undergraduates, Anthony Mildmay.

The Queen then rode back to King's.

Later at Great St. Mary's there was a disputation in divinity and in law. The Queen was then going to receive a surprise as the lords knelt down and asked her to speak something to the university in Latin. It is said at first she refused, saying that she might speak her mind in English, but she was then informed that English could not be used in addressing the University. It was then the Bishop of Ely knelt and said that the three words of her mouth were enough. The Queen is then said to have delivered some four hundred words in Latin!

The next morning, August 10th, many of the courtiers received honorary degrees; at 9am there was a final Latin oration by Thomas Preston; then with her courtiers about her, she rode past Magdalene College towards Long Stanton to dine with the Bishop of Ely.

As the Queen rode out of Cambridge, never to come again, the cries of students rang out 'Vivat! Vivat! Vivat regina Elizabetha!'

She went on to stay at Hinchingbrooke House, near Huntingdon.

Queen Victoria's Coronation Celebration on Parker's Piece.

On the 28th June, 1838 Parker's Piece, named after Edward Parker in 1613, was home to a remarkable feast to celebrate the coronation of Queen Victoria. It is recorded that 15,000 of the towns poorer inhabitants attended the celebrations.


In the centre of the piece was a orchestra which performed from a bandstand covered in flags and flowers. Below the centrepiece bandstand was a extensive promenade area for those who had purchased tickets to help pay towards the costs of the celebration. Around the promenade was space occupied by 2,762 Sunday school children, and then, like spokes from a wheel were 60 tables to cater for 12,720 adults. At hand on the day were 351 stewards, 547 carvers, 441 waiters, 297 beer- waiters and 41 tapsters. There were 7,029 joints of beef, mutton, pork, veal and bacon, this worked out about 1lb of meat per head. Also available was 72lb of mustard, 125 gallons of pickles, four-and-a-half thousand 2lb loaves and endless supplies of salt. For sweet there were 1,608 plum puddings available.

The dinner began at two o'clock after grace had been sung, and while the meal was being ate, the band played and the combined choir of King's and Trinity Colleges sang. After completing the dinner everyone sang a special grace composed for the celebration, then pipes and tobacco were placed on tables, and glasses were charged from 99 barrels of ale, and the mayor proposed the Queen's health, it was responded with a deafening cheer, before everyone sang the Nation Anthem.

At five o'clock, led by the mayor and the band, everyone marched to Midsummer Common for rural sports and to see Mr. & Mrs. Green ascend in a balloon ( it later descended near Fulbourn ). A firework display ended the celebrations.

The day had been a wonderful success, it was the only day that week which had see good weather. The poor who were unable to attend from age or illness were entertained in their homes, and so were those in the workhouses.

The whole celebration cost £1,709 19s 6d. in documents I found in the Cambridgeshire collection, but other sources have said it totalled to £1,767 14 shillings and 10 pence.