University of Cambridge Chancellor election, 1847

An election for the Chancellor of the University of Cambridge was held on 25-27 February 1847, after the death of the Duke of Northumberland

Hugh Percy, 3rd Duke of Northumberland

Hugh Percy, 3rd Duke of Northumberland KG, PC , styled Earl Percy until 1817, was a British aristocrat and Tory politician who served as Lord Lieutenant of Ireland under the Duke of Wellington from 1829 to 1830....

. Many senior figures in the university hoped that Prince Albert, the Prince Consort could be persuaded to stand and elected unopposed, but a group from St John's College

St John's College, Cambridge

St John's College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. The college's alumni include nine Nobel Prize winners, six Prime Ministers, three archbishops, at least two princes, and three Saints....

approached the Earl of Powis

Edward Herbert, 2nd Earl of Powis

- External links :...

, a St John's man. The election became politicised as Powis was a noted Conservative and his opponents feared the consequences from the Whig Government if he was elected. The result was close as the large number of non-resident Members of the Senate from St John's, and Conservative supporters, backed Powis, but the Prince (who was reluctant to enter into a political contest) was elected and agreed to take up the post. The election occurred at a critical point in the history of the University when it was pressed to reform, and the Prince Consort's election allowed progress to be made.

Vacancy arises

News of the death of the Duke of Northumberland

Hugh Percy, 3rd Duke of Northumberland

, who had been Chancellor of the University since 1840, was received in Cambridge on the evening of Friday 12 February. Initial thoughts of his successor centred on Lord Lyndhurst

John Copley, 1st Baron Lyndhurst

John Singleton Copley, 1st Baron Lyndhurst PC KS FRS , was a British lawyer and politician. He was three times Lord Chancellor of Great Britain.-Background and education:...

who was then High Steward

High Steward (academia)

The High Steward in the universities of Oxford and Cambridge is a once-important but now largely ceremonial university official...

of the University and a member of Trinity College

Trinity College, Cambridge

Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Trinity has more members than any other college in Cambridge or Oxford, with around 700 undergraduates, 430 graduates, and over 170 Fellows...

, the largest. A letter in the London evening newspaper The Globe
The Globe (London newspaper)
The Globe was a British London newspaper founded in 1803 and merged with the Pall Mall Gazette in 1921....

suggested the Earl of Burlington

George Cavendish, 1st Earl of Burlington

George Augustus Henry Cavendish, 1st Earl of Burlington , styled Lord George Cavendish before 1831, was a British politician.-Background:...

. Others were already suggesting that Prince Albert, the Prince Consort might be a suitable candidate. The Prince was an obvious choice as he was known to be interested in higher education, intelligent and had a serious approach. He had been made a Doctor of Laws and a member of Trinity College when he visited Cambridge together with the Queen in 1843, but there were some difficulties which his election would bring. He was not English, and did not know much about English universities; also had no seat in Parliament and was therefore unable to defend Cambridge there. As a member of the Royal Family, the Prince was above party politics: this had advantages (putting the University out of the party fray) but also disadvantages (he was unable to intervene in intense political debates).

Among the senior members of the University who thought of the Prince Consort was William Whewell

William Whewell

William Whewell was an English polymath, scientist, Anglican priest, philosopher, theologian, and historian of science. He was Master of Trinity College, Cambridge.-Life and career:Whewell was born in Lancaster...

, then Master of Trinity College. On 13 February Whewell wrote to the Treasurer of Prince Albert's Household to ask if the Prince would consent to nomination; later that day he visited him in person to discuss the issue. Albert was unprepared for the invitation and asked Baron Stockmar

Christian Friedrich, Baron Stockmar

Christian Friedrich Freiherr von Stockmar was an Anglo-Belgian statesman, who was a leading player in the affairs of the United Kingdom under Queen Victoria.-Early life and education:...

about it; Stockmar advised that the Prince's experience of German universities might be of some use. At Stockmar's suggestion, he consulted the Marquess of Lansdowne

Henry Petty-FitzMaurice, 3rd Marquess of Lansdowne

Henry Petty-Fitzmaurice, 3rd Marquess of Lansdowne KG, PC, FRS , known as Lord Henry Petty from 1784 to 1809 and then as The Earl of Kerry to 1818, was a British statesman...

, Lord President of the Council

Lord President of the Council

The Lord President of the Council is the fourth of the Great Officers of State of the United Kingdom, ranking beneath the Lord High Treasurer and above the Lord Privy Seal. The Lord President usually attends each meeting of the Privy Council, presenting business for the monarch's approval...

, who advised him to accept provided that the election was unopposed. The Prince accepted this advice and on Sunday 14 February Lord Monteagle of Brandon

Thomas Spring Rice, 1st Baron Monteagle of Brandon

Thomas Spring Rice, 1st Baron Monteagle of Brandon, PC, FRS was a British Whig politician, who served as Chancellor of the Exchequer from 1835 to 1839.-Background:...

wrote to Whewell confirming the Prince's conditional acceptance of nomination. Whewell was quite pleased to have received it, never expecting to get an unconditional acceptance, and returned to Cambridge to begin arranging what he hoped would be the unopposed election.

A contest looms

Immediately on learning of the death of the Duke of Northumberland, the Master and senior members of St John's College

St John's College, Cambridge

had decided to invite the Earl of Powis

Edward Herbert, 2nd Earl of Powis

- External links :...

, who had studied at that college, to be a candidate. Powis was English and had been Tory Member of Parliament for Ludlow

Ludlow (UK Parliament constituency)

Ludlow is a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election....

for 33 years, voting against the Reform Act

Reform Act 1832

The Representation of the People Act 1832 was an Act of Parliament that introduced wide-ranging changes to the electoral system of England and Wales...

. He was mainly known for his religious views, being a Tractarian

Oxford Movement

The Oxford Movement was a movement of High Church Anglicans, eventually developing into Anglo-Catholicism. The movement, whose members were often associated with the University of Oxford, argued for the reinstatement of lost Christian traditions of faith and their inclusion into Anglican liturgy...

, but had led the opposition in the House of Lords to the proposal to unite the sees of Bangor

Bishop of Bangor

The Bishop of Bangor is the Ordinary of the Church in Wales Diocese of Bangor.The diocese covers the counties of Anglesey, most of Caernarfonshire and Merionethshire and a small part of Montgomeryshire...

and St Asaph

Bishop of St Asaph

The Bishop of St Asaph heads the Church in Wales diocese of St Asaph.The diocese covers the counties of Conwy and Flintshire, Wrexham county borough, the eastern part of Merioneth in Gwynedd and part of northern Powys. The Episcopal seat is located in the Cathedral Church of St Asaph in the town of...

in order to create a new Bishopric of Manchester. The fight had begun in 1843 and had led to the appointment of a Commission to reconsider the measure, which recommended that it be dropped. As a result, Powis was popular among churchmen.

On his return to Cambridge, Whewell had found that almost all the Heads of Colleges and Professors were supportive of the Prince, and two (Woodwardian Professor of Geology

Woodwardian Professor of Geology

The Woodwardian Professor of Geology is a professorship held in the Department of Earth Sciences at the University of Cambridge. It was founded by John Woodward in 1728...

Adam Sedgwick

Adam Sedgwick was one of the founders of modern geology. He proposed the Devonian period of the geological timescale...

and the Master of Jesus College

Jesus College, Cambridge

Jesus College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England.The College was founded in 1496 on the site of a Benedictine nunnery by John Alcock, then Bishop of Ely...

Dr William French) had had the same idea and were already canvassing support. The appearance of a rival candidate might undermine the whole effort since the Prince wanted an unopposed election. Powis had received the invitation from his college at home in Shropshire and accepted it on Monday 15 February, probably in ignorance of any approach to the Prince Consort, and the supporters of the Prince hoped that Powis might be persuaded to withdraw on learning of widespread support for a rival. The Vice-Chancellor Henry Philpott

Henry Philpott (bishop)

Henry Philpott was a distinguished scholar of the University of Cambridge. He matriculated at St Catharine's College, Cambridge in 1825 and graduated as Senior Wrangler and 2nd Smith's prizeman in 1829...

and 13 Heads of Colleges agreed the terms of a formal address to the Prince asking for permission to nominate him and left it at Catharine Hall

St Catharine's College, Cambridge

St. Catharine’s College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Founded in 1473, the college is often referred to informally by the nickname "Catz".-History:...

where Philpott was Master, for others to sign. The address read:

Withdrawals and acceptances both declined

On learning that Powis had accepted, the Master of St John's immediately wrote back to tell him that the Prince Consort might be a candidate. However, news of Powis' acceptance of nomination had already been published in the London evening newspapers of Monday. While Powis knew it would be unseemly to fight an election against the Prince, he felt he could not go back on his word and disappoint his supporters. The Vice-Chancellor apparently appealed to Powis directly to urge him to withdraw, but it was in vain. Powis confirmed that he would stand; committees were already being formed to support him which were pleased to hear of his determination, and the committees resolved to "use the utmost efforts" to campaign. He quickly gathered support in London; the members of the Oxford and Cambridge Club

Oxford and Cambridge Club

The Oxford and Cambridge Club is at 71 Pall Mall, London, England. The clubhouse was designed for the membership by architect Sir Robert Smirke and completed towards the end of 1837. It was founded for members of the universities of Oxford and Cambridge...

were said to be almost universally in favour of Powis, although after the election was over, a pamphleteer generally sympathetic to him regretted that his supporters had resorted to "degrading" public advertisement to drum up support. Most of the press were also opposed to the Prince, with Punch
Punch (magazine)
Punch, or the London Charivari was a British weekly magazine of humour and satire established in 1841 by Henry Mayhew and engraver Ebenezer Landells. Historically, it was most influential in the 1840s and 50s, when it helped to coin the term "cartoon" in its modern sense as a humorous illustration...

being particularly energetic in the campaign: it printed a spoof begging-letter from the University to the Prince which ran:
The Prince's supporters could not send their address until Powis' intentions were known, so it waited at Catharine Hall until Friday 19 February when they met at Trinity College. Whewell presided and those present included most Heads of Colleges, Professors and resident Fellows. This meeting unanimously approved the Prince Consort as a candidate and appointed a Committee to run his election campaign which contained Fellows from every college except St John's. It was agreed that the Vice-Chancellor should go to meet the Prince to present the address and hear his reply about whether, in the circumstances of a contested election, the Prince would accept nomination. Because the issue was critical, the Vice-Chancellor was to telegraph

Electrical telegraph

An electrical telegraph is a telegraph that uses electrical signals, usually conveyed via telecommunication lines or radio. The electromagnetic telegraph is a device for human-to-human transmission of coded text messages....

the Prince's decision: 'A' for acceptance, 'C' for conditional acceptance, and 'R' for refusal.

On Saturday 20 February the Vice-Chancellor went by train to London and had an audience with the Prince Consort at Buckingham Palace

Buckingham Palace

Buckingham Palace, in London, is the principal residence and office of the British monarch. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is a setting for state occasions and royal hospitality...

, handing him the address with its many distinguished signatures. The Prince had prepared a written answer which stated that "from the proceedings entered into by others in the University, .. there does not exist that degree of unanimity which alone would leave me at liberty to consent to be put in nomination". The Queen wrote in her diary for that night that Albert had declined the offer and Philpott telegraphed back 'R', a reply which was received during the afternoon. The full text of the Prince's letter was telegraphed shortly before Philpott arrived back and a full committee meeting was called. Dr Graham

John Graham (bishop)

John Graham was an English churchman and academic. He was master of Christ's College, Cambridge from 1830 to 1848 and Bishop of Chester from 1848 to 1865.-Life:...

, the Master of Christ's College

Christ's College, Cambridge

Christ's College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge.With a reputation for high academic standards, Christ's College averaged top place in the Tompkins Table from 1980-2000 . In 2011, Christ's was placed sixth.-College history:...

, told the meeting that he had private information that the answer was final and it would be disrespectful to the Prince to proceed.

The Contest becomes certain

The supporters of the Prince Consort at the meeting on Saturday evening were very reluctant to give up, many thinking that the choice of Powis would be a disastrous insult to the Government. The meeting concluded by carrying a resolution to meet again on Monday, although most expected this next meeting would have to wind up the campaign. However late in the evening, James Cartmell (a Fellow of Christ's College) arrived from London bearing a letter from Lord Monteagle to Whewell. Monteagle had been working to support the Prince and wrote that "'R' was sent by mistake. The answer is no refusal" and citing three others "best qualified to form an opinion" as agreeing. Lord Lansdowne, who possibly drafted the Prince's reply, was certainly one of them, and explained that the Prince had refused his consent to be nominated, but had not said that he would refuse office if his supporters nominated him anyway. He was therefore giving his Cambridge supporters a free hand. Accordingly when the Committee met on Monday 22 February, they unanimously agreed to nominate the Prince and to distribute a circular in his favour. Notwithstanding what he had said on Saturday, Dr Graham did not dissent. A Committee was formed at the Union Hotel in London to campaign for the non-resident vote, under the chairmanship of the Marquess of Northampton

Spencer Compton, 2nd Marquess of Northampton

Spencer Joshua Alwyne Compton, 2nd Marquess of Northampton , known as Lord Compton from 1796 to 1812 and as Earl Compton from 1812 to 1828, was a British nobleman and patron of science and the arts....

.

On learning he had in fact been nominated, the Prince asked former Prime Minister Sir Robert Peel

Robert Peel

Sir Robert Peel, 2nd Baronet was a British Conservative statesman who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 10 December 1834 to 8 April 1835, and again from 30 August 1841 to 29 June 1846...

for advice on whether he should insist on withdrawing, or remain indifferent, and whether in the event of his election, he should refuse or accept. Peel advised him to let the election take its course and to accept the office, "for of the result of the contest I cannot have a doubt". The Prince accepted this advice.

Issues

Cambridge in the 1840s was under severe pressure to reform, being still almost entirely Anglican. The Chancellor election was crucial to the University's response. While some feared that the Prince Consort would seek to change Cambridge to be like a German University, others believed he would be easily accepted by the Government as a clear indication that Cambridge supported reforms and would bring them forward. However, this argument was not easily made in public and the main themes in the election were not so high-minded. Powis was attacked as a Roman Catholic masquerading as an Anglican, while the feud between Trinity and St John's Colleges was stirred up on both sides. On 23 February Whewell wrote a general letter asking for support for the Prince because Powis would be "a Chancellor of St John's" and had estranged himself from the rest of the University. Whewell hand-wrote some letters but lithographed others, and the Master of St Johns Dr Ralph Tatham

Ralph Tatham

-Life:He graduated at the University of Cambridge in 1803. He became Master of St John's College, Cambridge, Public Orator, and Vice-Chancellor. He was also Rector of Colkirk, Norfolk.-References:...

complained that for him to do so was "unjust and unprecedented" since the assertion was wrong: Powis' committee contained 40 Trinity graduates. Whewell stood by his comments, on the grounds that Powis had not told the officers of the University that he was standing, and had replied with the resolution of a committee when they had got in touch with him.

Some Royalists appealed for votes for "the noble-hearted husband of our noble-hearted Queen", while others refused to have a non-English and non-Cambridge man as Chancellor. The Times printed a letter "written in a ruder style than we could have wished" which objected that it was improper for the University to have direct access to the Crown through the husband of the Queen. Party political considerations were also present. An anonymous "non-resident M.A." published in the London newspapers complained that on Albert's committee, "scarcely a name is to be found but that of some mere Whig politician, or some courtier who is no politician at all"; the author praised Powis as the "best bulwark [of the Church] in our days" and lamented that the Whigs were fighting under cover of the Queen's consort and against his wishes. The Globe
The Globe (London newspaper)
The Globe was a British London newspaper founded in 1803 and merged with the Pall Mall Gazette in 1921....

contended that the Prince was precluded from accepting the office for several reasons, but for "one all-sufficient fact — the absence of anything approaching to unanimity in the University". The Evening Standard
Evening Standard
The Evening Standard, now styled the London Evening Standard, is a free local daily newspaper, published Monday–Friday in tabloid format in London. It is the dominant regional evening paper for London and the surrounding area, with coverage of national and international news and City of London...

felt that nominating Albert was disrespectful to both Queen Victoria and the Prince himself, and that voting against Albert was justified because he had refused to be nominated.

Casting votes

The electorate for the election of Chancellor was the Senate of the University, consisting of all the senior members including the Masters of Arts. As Cambridge raised every graduate to the degree of a Master of Arts six years after matriculation

Matriculation

Matriculation, in the broadest sense, means to be registered or added to a list, from the Latin matricula – little list. In Scottish heraldry, for instance, a matriculation is a registration of armorial bearings...

, almost all Cambridge graduates (wherever resident) could vote. The total electorate was estimated by William Frederick Pollock, a Trinity College graduate supporting Powis, at 3,500, of whom 300 were resident in Cambridge. Votes had to be cast in person, and The Times printed the times of trains to Cambridge and back, so that non-resident MAs could go up and vote. Prince Albert was surprised to learn that Powis' London committee had chartered special trains for their supporters; this was a tactic which the Prince's supporters had not thought of. Cambridge graduates in high public office were strongly encouraged to take time off to go up and vote; they were also aware that voting was public and that, depending on their vote, they might incur grave Royal displeasure. The poll was set to be taken over three days. It would open at 10 AM on Thursday 25 February, and close at 5 PM that night, and be reopened between 8 PM and 9 PM that evening. The poll on Friday 26 February, the second day, was held at the same hours as the first day; on Saturday 27 February the poll opened at 9 AM and closed, finally, at noon. Votes were cast in a large voting chest on a table in front of the Vice-Chancellor, with two letter-boxes: the one to the right of the Vice-Chancellor was 'The Prince Albert' while to the left was 'The Earl of Powis'. Voters would identify themselves and pick up one of two voting papers reading:

e Collegio eligit CELSISSIMUM PRINCIPEM ALBERTUM IN CANCELLARIUM HUJUS ACADEMIÆ	e Collegio eligit HONORATISSIMUM VIRUM COMITEM DE POWIS IN CANCELLARIUM HUJUS ACADEMIÆ

Each candidate had two 'assessors' who checked the procedure was fair. The assessors for Prince Albert were Rev Robert Birkett (Emmanuel College

Emmanuel College, Cambridge

Emmanuel College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge.The college was founded in 1584 by Sir Walter Mildmay on the site of a Dominican friary...

) and Rev John Mills (Pembroke College

Pembroke College, Cambridge

Pembroke College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England.The college has over seven hundred students and fellows, and is the third oldest college of the university. Physically, it is one of the university's larger colleges, with buildings from almost every century since its...

); for the Earl of Powis, the assessors were Dr John Charles Snowball (St John's College

St John's College, Cambridge

) and Rev Henry Wilkinson Cookson (Peterhouse

Peterhouse, Cambridge

Peterhouse is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England. It is the oldest college of the University, having been founded in 1284 by Hugo de Balsham, Bishop of Ely...

). During the voting the undergraduates (who had no votes) crowded into the galleries in the Senate House

Senate House (University of Cambridge)

The Senate House of the University of Cambridge is now used mainly for degree ceremonies. It was formerly also used for meetings of the Council of the Senate...

, shouting at the participants below. They returned on the second day's polling, Friday 26 February, bringing horns and throwing things down including peas, shot and halfpennies. It was noted that the Queen was respected, but that Albert was referred to as the "The German Chancellor" as opposed to Powis as "The English Chancellor". However, others distinguished between "The Chancellor of St John's" and "The Royal Chancellor". One wag shouted a mock advertisement "shortly to be published: The Master of Trinity's Court Guide", followed by "Hints on Etiquette, by a Johnian". The Times reported the state of the poll at various hours to be as follows:

Time	Prince Consort	Earl of Powis	Majority	Time	Prince Consort	Earl of Powis	Majority	Time	Prince Consort	Earl of Powis	Majority
First day				Second day				Third day
								9:30 AM	896	793	+103
								10 AM	901	804	+97
10:30 AM	52	68	–16	10:30 AM	638	613	+25	10:30 AM	912	805	+107
11 AM	93	123	–30	11 AM	654	632	+22	11 AM	942	835	+107
11:30 AM	133	187	–54	11:30 AM	664	647	+17	11:30 AM	948	839	+109
12 PM	148	214	–66	12 PM	668	654	+14
12:30 PM	219	301	–82	12:30 PM	670	660	+10
1 PM	292	353	–61	1 PM	706	679	+27
1:30 PM	312	368	–56	1:30 PM	718	683	+35
2 PM	328	393	–65	2 PM	724	689	+39
				2:30 PM	761	706	+55
3 PM	427	451	–24	3 PM	781	722	+59
				3:30 PM	792	736	+56
4 PM	533	543	–10	4 PM	808	749	+59
4:30 PM	560	560	nil	4:30 PM	815	762	+63
5 PM	582	572	+10	5 PM	828	763	+65
9 PM	617	602	+15	9 PM	875	789	+86

By Friday it had become clear to the Prince that, if he won, it would be by a small majority. He asked Sir Robert Peel to come to Buckingham Palace at 1 PM on Saturday, so that he could give advice on what to do when the expected delegation arrived from Cambridge formally offering him the Chancellorship. At noon on Saturday the voting ceased and the chest in which votes had been cast was opened so that they could be counted. Four dubious votes which had been kept back for consideration were found to be good votes by the Registrar, while four votes were struck off as the voter was found to be ineligible; two who met this fate were Earl Fitzwilliam

Charles Wentworth-FitzWilliam, 5th Earl FitzWilliam

Charles Wentworth-Fitzwilliam, 5th Earl Fitzwilliam KG was a British nobleman. He was three times President of the Royal Statistical Society ....

and Francis Hodgson

Francis Hodgson

Francis Hodgson , was a reforming Provost of Eton, educator, cleric, writer of verse, and friend of Byron....

, Provost of Eton; each had graduated but not taken their MA. The names of all voters were read over again and the final result was declared just before 2 PM:

College	Voters	Prince Albert	Earl of Powis	Majority	Paired (Albert)	Paired (Powis)
Catharine Hall St Catharine's College, Cambridge St. Catharine’s College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Founded in 1473, the college is often referred to informally by the nickname "Catz".-History:...	45	22	23	–1		1
Christ's College Christ's College, Cambridge Christ's College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge.With a reputation for high academic standards, Christ's College averaged top place in the Tompkins Table from 1980-2000 . In 2011, Christ's was placed sixth.-College history:...	77	47	30	+17	3	2
Clare Hall Clare College, Cambridge Clare College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge in Cambridge, England.The college was founded in 1326, making it the second-oldest surviving college of the University after Peterhouse. Clare is famous for its chapel choir and for its gardens on "the Backs"...	56	37	19	+18	2	2
Corpus Christi College Corpus Christi College, Cambridge Corpus Christi College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. It is notable as the only college founded by Cambridge townspeople: it was established in 1352 by the Guilds of Corpus Christi and the Blessed Virgin Mary...	69	52	17	+35	1
Downing College Downing College, Cambridge Downing College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. The college was founded in 1800 and currently has around 650 students.- History :...	17	11	6	+5	1
Emmanuel College Emmanuel College, Cambridge Emmanuel College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge.The college was founded in 1584 by Sir Walter Mildmay on the site of a Dominican friary...	72	32	40	–8		1
Gonville and Caius College Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge Gonville and Caius College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge in Cambridge, England. The college is often referred to simply as "Caius" , after its second founder, John Keys, who fashionably latinised the spelling of his name after studying in Italy.- Outline :Gonville and...	84	60	24	+36	1
Jesus College Jesus College, Cambridge Jesus College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England.The College was founded in 1496 on the site of a Benedictine nunnery by John Alcock, then Bishop of Ely...	59	33	26	+7	1	2
King's College King's College, Cambridge King's College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England. The college's full name is "The King's College of our Lady and Saint Nicholas in Cambridge", but it is usually referred to simply as "King's" within the University....	56	31	25	+6		2
Magdalene College Magdalene College, Cambridge Magdalene College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England.The college was founded in 1428 as a Benedictine hostel, in time coming to be known as Buckingham College, before being refounded in 1542 as the College of St Mary Magdalene...	62	38	24	+14
Pembroke Hall Pembroke College, Cambridge Pembroke College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England.The college has over seven hundred students and fellows, and is the third oldest college of the university. Physically, it is one of the university's larger colleges, with buildings from almost every century since its...	45	32	13	+19
Peterhouse Peterhouse, Cambridge Peterhouse is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England. It is the oldest college of the University, having been founded in 1284 by Hugo de Balsham, Bishop of Ely...	64	33	31	+2		1
Queens' College Queens' College, Cambridge Queens' College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England.The college was founded in 1448 by Margaret of Anjou , and refounded in 1465 by Elizabeth Woodville...	76	54	22	+32
St John's College St John's College, Cambridge St John's College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. The college's alumni include nine Nobel Prize winners, six Prime Ministers, three archbishops, at least two princes, and three Saints....	371	53	318	–265	4	6
Sidney Sussex College Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge Sidney Sussex College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge in England.The college was founded in 1596 and named after its foundress, Frances Sidney, Countess of Sussex. It was from its inception an avowedly Puritan foundation: some good and godlie moniment for the mainteynance...	29	21	8	+13		2
Trinity College Trinity College, Cambridge Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Trinity has more members than any other college in Cambridge or Oxford, with around 700 undergraduates, 430 graduates, and over 170 Fellows...	580	378	202	+176	17	11
Trinity Hall Trinity Hall, Cambridge Trinity Hall is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England. It is the fifth-oldest college of the university, having been founded in 1350 by William Bateman, Bishop of Norwich.- Foundation :...	29	20	9	+11
Total	1,791	954	837	+117	30	30

The Prince accepts

Having received the Prince's invitation, Peel prepared a paper for him giving his advice about what to do in the case of various election outcomes. Peel argued very strongly that, if the Prince was elected by a small majority, he should definitely accept the office: the small majority was the product of the unusual circumstances of the election, while most of the senior members of the University had supported him and to refuse the office would be to deeply offend them. He also drafted the terms of a reply which the Prince might make to the Cambridge delegation. The Prime Minister, Lord John Russell, also wrote to the Prince advising him that everyone he had seen thought "a refusal on the part of Your Royal Highness would create confusion and dissatisfaction". Queen Victoria wrote in her diary that "We are much gratified" by the result and that "Albert on the good advice of Sir Robert Peel (which is always valuable) is accepting the post".

When no delegation came on Saturday, and instead only a letter confirming the result and that an official letter of invitation would follow, the Prince's Private Secretary Colonel Phipps

Charles Beaumont Phipps

Sir Charles Beaumont Phipps , was a British soldier and courtier.He was the second son of Henry Phipps, 1st Earl of Mulgrave, and was born at the family estate of Mulgrave Castle in 1801. Educated at Harrow, Phipps joined the army by purchasing a commission as an ensign and lieutenant in the Scots...

wrote to the Vice-Chancellor gently to encourage him to send a formal delegation. He also included the reply drafted by Peel which stated "I have resolved to accept the trust which the University is willing to confide to me". The official letter was traditionally in Latin

Latin

Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...

and had to be approved by the Senate; Rev Thomas Crick, the Public Orator, who wrote it, was a strong supporter of Powis and found it difficult to compose something friendly. When finished on 2 March it was sealed and taken to Buckingham Palace to be presented to the Prince who simply replied "and here is my answer". After the delegation had gone, Albert read the official letter and noticed that a minor mistake had been made in the Latin.

The Prince was formally installed as Chancellor of the University of Cambridge in a ceremony at Buckingham Palace on 25 March 1847. He invited Powis to the ceremony, but Powis replied that as the preceding day had been announced by the Queen as a "day of Prayer & Humiliation", he would be spending the time with his family instead.

Vacancy arises

A contest looms

Withdrawals and acceptances both declined

The Contest becomes certain

Issues

Casting votes

The Prince accepts

See also