Harry Clynch

Is Cambridge university ashamed of Winston Churchill?

(Photo: Getty)

When I first started at Churchill College, Cambridge, I was proud that I had joined an institution whose very existence was a testament to the legacy of a personal and national hero. As I walked around the college grounds, I felt that I was now part of a community that was much bigger than myself; a community partly defined by the life and times of our country’s greatest leader. Standing for the college toast at my first formal dinner, the words ‘To Sir Winston, and the Queen’ almost made me believe that my own life was now, in a small but important way, linked to the life of the great man himself.

It seems that the college leadership, however, don’t feel the same way. After graduating last year, I returned to Churchill College last week to attend the annual Scholar’s Feast, one of the most important events in the college calendar. After the main course, the Master, Dame Athene Donald, rose to offer the college toast, as she usually does at such occasions. ‘The Queen’, she said. Sir Winston was no longer mentioned.

Had I misheard? The people sitting nearby were surprised that the traditional salute to Churchill had been shelved. Had Dame Athene simply forgotten or misspoken? In the context of an increasing number of attacks by Cambridge academics on Churchill’s reputation, it seemed unlikely to me. But still hoping the inevitable conclusion could be avoided, I asked the College to clarify. The response was as unsurprising as it was utterly demoralising:

‘This is part of a bigger review of all College formalities designed at fostering a more inclusive and less formal atmosphere.’

The college previously launched a ‘year-long programme’ of events to look at Churchill’s ‘backward’ views on empire and race

As part of this ‘review’, the college has decided that only the Queen will now be toasted at annual feasts.

Already a subscriber? Log in

Keep reading with a free trial

Subscribe and get your first month of online and app access for free. After that it’s just £1 a week.

There’s no commitment, you can cancel any time.

Or

Unlock more articles

REGISTER

Comments

Don't miss out

Join the conversation with other Spectator readers. Subscribe to leave a comment.

Already a subscriber? Log in