Over a history of almost 700 years, it has trained many vibrant and sometimes brilliant minds – including those of the Elizabethan adventurer Sir Walter Raleigh and the late left-wing historian AJP Taylor. But has Oriel College, Oxford, now been reduced to abject embarrassment by the ‘woke’ warriors of the 21st century?
That is the conclusion of one of the graduates who tells me that a beautiful portrait of an 18th century alumnus, the 5th Duke of Beaufort, has been ‘secretly’ removed from the college and now hangs in Badminton House, the beautiful seat of the 12th Duke in Gloucestershire. , known to friends as ‘Bunter’.
The portrait shows his ancestor as a substantial figure wearing a powdered wig and ermine robe – with a smaller figure in the background.
Has Oriel College, Oxford, now been reduced to abject embarrassment by the ‘woke’ warriors of the 21st century? That is the conclusion of one of the graduates who tells me that a beautiful portrait (photo) of an 18th century alumnus, the 5th Duke of Beaufort, has been ‘secretly removed’.
Over a history of almost 700 years, Oriel College (pictured) has educated many vibrant and sometimes brilliant minds, including those of the Elizabethan adventurer Sir Walter Raleigh and the late left-wing historian AJP Taylor.
“It belongs to a black page boy or servant. That’s why it had to be banned – in case it offended any student,” the critic claims, adding wryly: “it’s a nice way to treat one of Oriel’s great benefactors, the first to do so since the grants scholarships to poor scholars in the Middle Ages’.
Oriel acknowledges that the portrait has been ‘remitted to Badminton House for safekeeping’, but assures me that the decision was driven solely by ‘the extensive renovation of our senior library where the painting is normally hung’. The council insists it will return to Oriel once the renovation is complete.