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Tuesday, Sep 16, 2025

UK govt condemns ‘absurd’ removal of Queen’s portrait at Oxford University college over ‘colonial history’

UK govt condemns ‘absurd’ removal of Queen’s portrait at Oxford University college over ‘colonial history’

The UK government has criticised students at Oxford University’s Magdalen College as “simply absurd” for voting to remove a portrait of the Queen over concerns that it’s a symbol of Britain’s “recent colonial history.”

Speaking after the vote, which was taken at the college’s committee meeting on Monday, the UK government condemned the students for voting to permanently remove the portrait.

In a tweet, Education Secretary Gavin Williamson blasted the vote as “simply absurd,” describing the Queen as “a symbol of what is best about the UK” who “has worked tirelessly to promote British values of tolerance, inclusivity and respect.”


According to the minutes of the meeting, one of those opposed to the removal of the portrait described the action as “effectively cancelling the Queen,” while an individual in favour argued that it was about “making people feel welcome” in a communal area of the college.

The president of Oxford University’s Magdalen College, Dinah Rose, deferred responsibility for the vote and the decision taken, claiming that it was one for the students to make, not college authorities or the university. Rose stated that the students weren’t representative of the college’s views but were entitled to express their “free speech” right.

The decision, which comes ahead of the Queen celebrating 70 years on the throne in 2022, was met with a harsher response from Oxford University Chancellor Chris Patten, former chair of the Conservative Party. In comments to a British tabloid, Patten said “freedom of speech allows even intelligent people to be offensive and obnoxiously ignorant.”

The portrait of the Queen will be “safely stored” following its removal, according to the college’s president, rather than relocating it to another part of the university.

Comments

Alexander 4 year ago
This Amercan kid should go to his room with a double big mac and jumbo bucket of fries. He could look out some Oprah Winfrey interviews , I reommend that with Megan Markle and Harry her husband. He should learn from them just how awful the queen and all the other royals are. He might then watch some dottering old fool trying to climb up the steps of Airforce One. I appreciate he looks somewhat older than Queen Elizabeth but for sheer entertainment he might consider puting a picture of his president in place of the queen in his Oxford college with or without incontinence pants.

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