The community of Jesus College Oxford is deeply saddened by the news of the death of Her Majesty The Queen. Her Late Majesty’s commitment to duty and public service was unwavering. We send our heartfelt condolences to the Royal Family.
The Union Flag is being flown at half-mast as a mark of our respect during the period of formal national mourning.
We have always taken great pride in our place as the only Elizabethan college at Oxford. With the ending of this second Elizabethan era, it is a time for both reflection and gratitude, as we remember the late Queen’s seventy years of dedication to all those she served.
While the Queen never visited the central College site, she came to Oxford in March 1976 to open Stevens Close – Jesus’ student accommodation campus in East Oxford. Two photographs from that special day show the Queen with our then Principal John Habakkuk.
Her Late Majesty The Queen views the new accommodation at Stevens Close with (right) John Habakkuk (College Principal at the time) and student Sue Heymann (matr. 1974), as part of the opening on 5th March 1976..
Her Late Majesty The Queen receives a bouquet from a College member during the opening of Stevens Close on 5th March 1976. Image: Jesus College Oxford
The Chancellor of the University of Oxford has also paid tribute to Her Late Majesty The Queen, and that tribute can be read here.
In due course, as the Jesus community reassembles for the new academic year, there will be a service of commemoration in the Chapel.