Students at top Oxford college vote against hanging Queen’s portrait

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Students at a top Oxford University college have refused to hang the picture of Queen Elizabeth II, as she celebrates 60 years on the throne, because doing so would promote elitism.

Undergraduates at Keble College have been branded 'unpatriotic hypocrites' after they refused to hang a portrait of the Queen - because she was 'born into privilege.'

The students of the college wanted to spend 200 pounds on a picture of Her Majesty to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee.

But college members - whose alumni include the Duke of Kent’s grandson Edward Windsor - voted against the portrait because it promoted elitism.

Student representative Basil Vincent defended the decision.

“I think that some saw the portrait as potentially divisive,” the Daily Mail quoted him as saying.

“The general feeling was that enough is already being done to commemorate Her Majesty’s Diamond Jubilee,” he said.

Another Keble student added: “Nearly 200 pounds to support someone who was born into a certain family is not really economical use of money."

“The Royal family do nothing but sit on their backsides and wave at people. They have never had to work in their lives and just live off their ancestor’s money."

“Also, we have a lot of international students and it is not fair to show some kind of political allegiance they do not agree with,” the student said.

Only 17 students voted for the patriotic painting to be bought while 54 voted against.

But the decision has angered student Alexander King, who proposed the patriotic motion.

“I proposed the motion as I felt in this Jubilee year it was important to recognise the glorious service the Queen has given this country. It was voted down mainly on the spurious contention that it would be divisive."

“I feel very sad that on this issue Keble has shown itself to be woefully out of touch with the rest of the British population, 80 percent of whom currently support the monarchy,” he said.

Another student, from nearby Worcester College, said: “I couldn’t believe it when I heard they had decided not to put up a portrait of the Queen.

“They have become a laughing stock of the university. How they can have the audacity to say it was rejected because she is born into a privileged family is beyond me."

"It is totally unpatriotic and very hypocritical considering the intake at Keble. I’d say 90 percent of the students at that college are born into rich families and have spent their lives living off their parents,” the student added.