Posts tagged 2009

The first May Day Festival was held at Whitelands College in 1881 at the instigation of the Victorian philanthropist and art critic John Ruskin, friend of the then College Principal, the Reverend Canon John Faunthorpe. Every year since that date the students of the College have had a May Monarch – until 1986 a May Queen was elected, and now a May King or a May Queen is chosen every year. Whitelands May Day Festival has become a tradition; May Monarchs are installed in their office each year on the second Saturday in May by a visiting bishop at an impressive ceremony in the College Chapel. As an insignia of office, they receive at the hand of the bishop a designer gold cross. A major feature of the day’s events is the customary return to the College of many former May Monarchs who, where possible, wear their original outfits and who, after the ceremony, process round the College grounds behind the new King or Queen and her/his retinue.