UK government slams Oxford University students over removing ‘colonial’ queen portrait
The UK government has rebuked a move by the students of the University of Oxford to remove a portrait of the Queen Elizabeth, which they believed represents the colonial past of the country.
Secretary of State for Education Gavin Williamson reacted angrily on Tuesday night, calling the move “simply absurd,” while adding that “she is the head of state and a symbol of what is best about the UK.”
According to a report by The Times, after a majority vote, graduate students at Magdalen College took down the colorized print of the queen from their recreation room, because “for some students, depictions of the monarch and the British monarchy represent recent colonial history.”
The students’ move also triggered condemnation from the right-leaning newspaper, Daily Telegraph, which wrote on Tuesday that the queen “has become the latest victim of cancel culture,” or ostracism of those whose opinions are deemed unacceptable.
Furthermore, the royal commentator, Richard Fitzwilliams, branded the move as “nasty.”
“It was decided that the room should be a welcoming, neutral place for all members, regardless of background, demographic, or views,” said Matthew Katzman, head of the Middle Common Room committee at Magdalen.
The measure comes on the heels of student protests against historical figures with links to the British Empire or slavery.
Another Oxford college, Oriel, last month contentiously reversed its decision to remove a controversial statue of the 19th-century colonialist Cecil Rhodes, which sparked widespread anger in the UK.
The Oriel College was accused of “institutional racism” and about 150 lecturers have announced they will refuse to teach students.
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