{"id":1277,"date":"2019-06-12T11:37:11","date_gmt":"2019-06-12T10:37:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.qub.ac.uk\/specialcollections\/?p=1277"},"modified":"2019-06-12T11:46:24","modified_gmt":"2019-06-12T10:46:24","slug":"queens-and-queen-victoria","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.qub.ac.uk\/specialcollections\/queens-and-queen-victoria\/","title":{"rendered":"Queen’s and Queen Victoria"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The Queen’s Colleges in Ireland<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In this bicentenary year of the birth of Queen Victoria, on 24 May 1819, it is worth highlighting that the three Queen\u2019s Colleges in Ireland which were opened in the mid-19th<\/sup> century were named in her honour.  The establishment of the Queen\u2019s Colleges in Belfast, Cork and Galway in 1845 by royal assent through the Colleges (Ireland) Act 1845 and the setting up of the Queen\u2019s University in Ireland in 1850 as their degree-granting authority, \u2018opened a new era in Irish educational history\u2019[1].<\/a>
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
The crest of Queen’s College Belfast in the form of a floor tile mosaic at the entrance to the Lanyon building (image source: QUB Imagebank)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
The crest of the Queen’s University in Ireland (image source: QUB Imagebank)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The Queen\u2019s Colleges were the government\u2019s response to the need for expansion of higher education provision in Ireland as until then the only university in Ireland was the University of Dublin, (Trinity College).  The government intended that the Queen\u2019s Colleges were to be non-denominational and this is how Queen\u2019s, Belfast has remained.  The building of Queen\u2019s College Belfast was designed by the architect Charles Lanyon and it was completed in August 1849 and the first academic session began in October 1849.  The Queen\u2019s University Archive holds the Lanyon architectural drawings of the College building which date from 1847. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
QUB\/1\/12\/1\/2\/29: an architectural print of Queen’s College Belfast showing the side elevation of the southside of the building [1847], signed by Charles Lanyon (image source: QUB Archive)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

A permanent mark of remembrance to Queen Victoria, \u2018VR 1848\u2019, is included in the Lanyon building in diapered brickwork on the chimney breast of what was originally the President\u2019s residence[2]<\/a> and what is now the Vice-Chancellor\u2019s Office.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Lanyon South, VR (Victoria Regina) 1848 (image source: QUB Imagebank)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Queen Victoria and Prince Albert visit Queen’s College Belfast, 11 August 1849<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n

Also in August 1849 Queen Victoria and Prince Albert were on a state visit to Ireland and this included a visit to Belfast on 11 August.  Part of their itinerary was to attend a reception in the Botanic Gardens, which borders Queen\u2019s College, and whilst they were there they took the opportunity to visit the newly built College[3]<\/a>.  To mark the visit the Queen signed the Roll book.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n