Oxford University students vote to replace “colonial” portrait of the Queen

A group of students at the University of Oxford University have voted to remove a portrait of the current Queen Elizabeth II as they believe the image represents “recent colonial history”.

Students are reportedly thinking of replacing the portrait with “art by or of other influential and inspirational people”.

Dinah Rose QC, Magdalen College’s president, insisted that the student group did not represent the university’s views.

“The Middle Common Room is an organisation of graduate students. They don’t represent the College,” tweeted Dinah.

“A few years ago, in about 2013, they bought a print of a photo of the Queen to decorate their common room. They recently voted to take it down. Both of these decisions are their own to take, not the College’s,” she added.

Magdalen College claims to “strongly support free speech and political debate, and the MCR’S right to autonomy”.

According to political site Guido Fawkes, the decision passed by a “substantial majority”.

She is the Head of State and a symbol of what is best about the UK. During her long reign, she has worked tirelessly to promote British values of tolerance, inclusivity, and respect around the world.

– Gavin Williamson, Education Secretary 

It had reportedly been given minutes of the committee meeting, and that the group had decided that “for some students, depictions of the monarch and the British monarchy represent recent colonial history”.

Gavin Williamson, the Education Secretary, stated that the decision to remove the Queen’s picture was “simply absurd”.

On Twitter, he stated: “she is the Head of State and a symbol of what is best about the UK. During her long reign, she has worked tirelessly to promote British values of tolerance, inclusivity, and respect around the world.”

TV personality and journalist Piers Morgan also tweeted his opinion, saying: “These woke lunatics are beyond parody. Can we vote to have monarch-ordered Tower of London imprisonment powers restored for these insolent wastrels?”