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.
 

  

The Victoria Cinema

The first home of the Victoria was built in 1897 as the Victoria Assembly Rooms on Market Hill and in 1911 became the Electric Theatre Picture House. In 1915, after refurbishment, it reopened as the Victoria Cinema and remained at the site until 1921. A new Victoria Cinema opened in 1930 in a building closer to Market Street.

The first home of the Victoria Cinema - 1916

The building went under a refit in 1952 and in November 1972 it held the first all-night horror film show. It was recorded that over 600 people came to watch the all night show which ran from 11:30pm to 8:00am.

The second home of the Victoria Cinema 

The Victoria Cinema carried on into the 1980s, but finally closed in January 1988. The site was took over by Marks & Spencer.

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.