King's College Cambridge: A Legacy of History and Tradition

King's College, formally The King's College of Our Lady and Saint Nicholas in Cambridge, stands as a testament to centuries of academic excellence, architectural grandeur, and unique traditions. Founded in 1441 by King Henry VI, it is one of the 31 colleges in the University of Cambridge, England. Its history is intertwined with the monarchy, its architectural marvels inspire awe, and its traditions continue to shape the student experience.

Founding and Royal Patronage

King Henry VI founded King's College in 1441, shortly after establishing its sister institution, Eton College. Initially, King's accepted only students from Eton College. The King's plans were disrupted by the Wars of the Roses and the resultant scarcity of funds, and then his eventual deposition. Little progress was made on the project until 1508, when King Henry VII began to take an interest in the college, probably as a political move to legitimise his new position. Later, Henry VII and Henry VIII also patronized the college. It has been speculated that the choice of the college as a beneficiary by the two later Henrys was a political one, with Henry VII in particular concerned to legitimate a new, post-civil war Tudor regime by demonstrating patronage of what was by definition the King's College.

Architectural Splendor: King's College Chapel

King's College Chapel is the crown jewel of the college and one of the most recognizable symbols of Cambridge. It is regarded as one of the finest examples of late English Gothic architecture. The chapel is actively used as a place of worship and also for some concerts and college events.

A Marvel of Perpendicular Gothic

King’s College Chapel in Cambridge is one of the most spectacular achievements of late English Gothic architecture. Built over the course of multiple reigns and political upheavals, it represents the height of Perpendicular, with its vast fan vaulting and luminous stained glass. King’s College Chapel is the finest example of England’s final and most refined style of Gothic: Perpendicular. Its vast, uninterrupted interior, soaring windows, and world-record fan vaulting create an ethereal sense of space that was centuries ahead of its time.

Construction Over Generations

Plans for the chapel were first drawn up in the 1440s according to instructions from Henry VI, whose statue stands in the college’s front court. It was inspired by a visit to Winchester Cathedral and always conceived on a vast scale - particularly to serve a college which then had only 20 scholars - although crises in the royal finances caused multiple delays. The first stone of the chapel was laid by the King on St James's Day, 25 July 1446. Within a decade Henry's engagement in the Wars of the Roses meant that funds began to dry up. By the time of Henry's deposition in 1461, the chapel walls had been raised 60 ft high at the east end but only 8 ft at the west; a building line which can still be seen today as the boundary between the lighter stone below and the darker above. Work proceeded sporadically until a generation later in 1508 when the Founder's nephew Henry VII was prevailed upon to finish the shell of the building. The interior had to wait a further generation until completion by 1544 with the aid of Henry VIII.

The World's Largest Fan Vault

It has the world's largest fan vault, while its stained-glass windows and wooden chancel screen are considered some of the finest from their era. The entire building is an engineering marvel, frankly, and it shows how far Gothic builders had come in the two centuries since the disastrous Beauvais Cathedral. The interior is strikingly modern as well, with slender columns and massive windows creating a single open rectangular box. Completely open above and only interrupted at the ground level with a contrasting wooden rood screen, which holds up a massive organ, it really feels like a precursor to the minimalist spatial compositions of Mies van Der Rohe and Le Corbusier in the early 20th century. But this predates them by over 400 years.

Stained Glass and Iconography

While the architecture was complete in 1515, the stand glass windows were not installed until 1531, in a Renaissance style. The Italian Renaissance style rood screen was installed from 1532-1536, in celebration of Henry VIII’s marriage to Anne Boleyn, which means that the final construction installations here occurred after England’s break with the Catholic Church. The building itself represents then, both in history and form, the shift from the late medieval world to the early modern one. The heraldic shield of England and France in the center ties him to the previous Plantagenet rulers. To the left of it, the Red Dragon of Wales references his Welsh ancestry and the banner he carried at Bosworth. To the left, the white greyhound and portcullis are emblems of the Beauforts.

John Saltmarsh's Dedication

In what must be one of the most monumental examples of an academic’s dedication to their subject - a history of King’s College chapel, Cambridge, that ran to more than 20 times its commissioned length and was incomplete when its author died - has finally been published. King’s College fellow, historian and archivist John Saltmarsh, who was given his 10,000-word brief in the mid-50s was described by the university as the perfect man for the task: “He was an economic historian with a particular interest in the medieval world; he was a meticulous researcher; and he was a gifted writer.” By the time Saltmarsh died, in September 1974, he had written about 220,000 words but had still not finished, and the manuscript was covered in notes and corrections. The work was kept in the King’s College archives until the college decided to publish it in full, complete with Saltmarsh’s notes, saying that it was “perhaps destined to remain forever a work in progress”.

College Grounds and Architecture

The college remained as the Old Court, chapel and a few small surrounding buildings for nearly two-hundred years until in 1724 the architect James Gibbs provided a new plan to complete the courtyard of which the chapel formed the north side. Although his design was for the courtyard to be closed by three similar detached Neoclassical buildings, due to lack of funds only the western of these was constructed. Front Court was finally completed in 1828 under plans drawn up by William Wilkins. The courtyard was closed by a screen and gatehouse to the east; and residential staircases either side of a hall to the south. The southern buildings continued towards the river with a library and Provost's lodge. In 1869, the area along King's Parade between the Wilkins' Buildings and King's Lane was built upon after a design by George Gilbert Scott. When completed a year later, the new courtyard formed was named after Walter Chetwynd, a fellow of the college. In 1909, the south range of a third new courtyard - named after its architect Aston Webb - was built to the south of the library. The last main-site building to be erected by the college was the Keynes Building, finished in 1967 and named after the former college bursar John Maynard Keynes.

The Choir of King's College

King's College is home to the Choir of King's College, Cambridge, which was founded in th… The Chapel choir consists of organ scholars, choral scholars (male students from the college and other colleges) and choristers (boys educated at the nearby King's College School). The choir sings services on most days in term-time, and also performs concerts and makes recordings and broadcasts. In particular, it has broadcast its Nine Lessons and Carols on the BBC from the Chapel on Christmas Eve for many decades.

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Academic Excellence and Traditions

King's offers all undergraduate courses available at the university, except for education, land economy and veterinary medicine, although Directors of Studies for Anglo-Saxon Norse & Celtic and Management Studies visit from other colleges. Since its foundation, the college has housed a library, providing books for all students, covering all the subjects offered by King's. Around 130,000 books are held: some available for teaching and for reference, others being rare books and manuscripts. The college has gradually broadened its intake to include many students from state schools, often having the highest proportion of maintained school acceptances of the undergraduate colleges. Generally, the atmosphere at King's is considered to be easier than that of other colleges to integrate into for students from a working-class or minority background.

Traditions

King's College is renowned for its traditions, which contribute to the unique character of the college and the student experience. These traditions include formal hall, chapel services, and May Ball, are an important part of the student experience.

Student Life

King's has its own student unions, both for undergraduates (King's College Student Union or KCSU) and for graduates (King's College Graduate Union or KCGU). Students at King's have used both organisations to assist in the decision-making processes in the college itself and the university. There are a number of rooms around college which students can book out to hold society events. Whereas many Cambridge colleges celebrate May Week with a May Ball (which actually falls in June), since the early 1980s King's has instead held a June Event (an informal version of a May Ball with fancy dress) known as The King's Affair. This takes place annually on the Wednesday night of May Week (usually around 20 June), and is attended by around 1,500 students, occupying the Front Court, bar, Hall and Chapel.

King's has a number of competitive and casual sports clubs. King's College Boat Club has the largest active membership of any club in King's. Another major club is the King's Mountaineering and Kayaking Association, which has a fleet of kayaks for use on the River Cam (which runs through the college) and regularly runs climbing, walking and kayaking trips for students of the college during university vacations. Its rugby team is joint with Corpus Christi and Clare colleges and consequently known as CCK.

Notable Alumni

King’s College has produced a remarkable array of alumni who have made significant contributions to various fields. E.M. Forster attended the college from the year 1897 to the year 1901. Forster’s attendance to Cambridge allowed him to broaden his intellectual horizons from the rigid English culture he was raised in. Forster would eventually use the term “day student” as a criticism for public schooling and how it stifled creativity. His attendance to King’s college exposed him to the Mediterranean culture and allowed him to explore his own intellectual interests. At King’s College Forster began to question his Catholic morals and question his more traditional values.

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King's Today

King's College today is a landmark for tourists coming to London. Even after all this time the chapel is still revered as one of the greatest architectural pieces to be built. However, the college is not only known for its chapel’ amazing architecture and stained glass windows found within it. The college is also famous for its choir that broadcasts a Christmas Eve service around the world. Currently the school has an acceptance rate of 20.8% and has about 700 students. The college has over 20 different subjects that students can study and explore during their stay at King’s.

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