King Charles Club
The King Charles Club (KCC) is a dining society which recruits members exclusively from amongst St John's College, Oxford students.
History[edit]
In 1636 King Charles I, for whom the Club is named, visited Oxford in order to mark the opening of the new quadrangle at St John's College, with a day of feasting and celebrations at the college.[1]
In 1646, St John's College, which sympathised with the Royalists, acted as Prince Rupert of the Rhine's headquarters for his defence of the city of Oxford,[2] and King Charles I, present in Oxford at the time, is believed to have taken refuge with his nephew at the college for a period of time.[citation needed] A possibly apocryphal story relating to these times is that the King treated Prince Rupert and 11 of his closest lieutenants to an especially opulent meal.[3][4] The foundation of the Club is predicated upon this incident.
Present day[edit]
The society is still active,[5] despite being banned from college grounds.[6][7] "Invitation-only" by nature, the King Charles Club recruits solely from amongst members of St John's College. The club has certain traditions, including the laying of a wreath at Whitehall on the anniversary of the execution of Charles I.[5]
The dinner traditionally celebrated after this event has in recent years been held at Stringfellows, Covent Garden.[3] Peter Stringfellow was the honorary president until his death in 2018.[3][7] The incongruity of an ancient dining society meeting in Stringfellows has resulted in popular commentary, including an editorial comment in The Daily Telegraph in February 2001.[8]
Members[edit]
The Conservative politician Aidan Burley was president of the club during his time at St Johns.[9] Other present or former members include Canadian Nobel Prize–winning politician Lester Pearson,[4] and author and clergyman Fergus Butler-Gallie.[5]
The Club colours, worn by members on Club apparel, are black, blue, and gold. Members wear a Club tie which is black with stripes of pacific blue edged with gold.[10]
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ Taylor, A.J. (1936). "The Royal Visit to Oxford In 1636" (PDF). Oxoniensia. 1: 151–158.
- ^ Spencer (9th Earl Spencer), Charles (2007). Prince Rupert: The Last Cavalier. London: Phoenix. p. 173. ISBN 978-0-297-84610-9.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ a b c "Honorary President of the King Charles Club Oxford". Stringfellows. Archived from the original on 25 April 2014. Retrieved 1 July 2014.
- ^ a b Symonds, Richard (1991). "Nursing Mother of the Elect". Oxford and Empire: The Last Lost Cause?. Oxford: Oxford University Press. pp. 278–9. ISBN 9780198203001.
- ^ a b c "Strip club mogul fronts John's drinking soc". The Oxford Student. 27 April 2014. Retrieved 1 July 2014.
- ^ "Drinking the town dry". Cherwell.org. 8 October 2003. Retrieved 15 July 2012.
- ^ a b "Who's afraid of the big, bad club?". Cherwell. 16 October 2015. Retrieved 26 May 2019.
- ^ "Sign o' the times". The Daily Telegraph. London. 1 February 2001. Archived from the original on 26 May 2019. Retrieved 26 May 2019.
- ^ Nicholas Watt (18 December 2011). "Tory MP who attended Nazi-themed stag party loses ministerial aide post". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 15 July 2012.
- ^ "U32- King Charles Oxford Dining Club". Charleston: Ben Silver Corporation. Archived from the original on 26 May 2019. Retrieved 26 May 2019.
