Queen's College of Mary and St Nicholas in Cambridge (or simply King's College) is one of the colleges that make up the University of Cambridge. The college was founded in 1441 by King Henry VI, shortly after the founding of his sister college at Eton.
Construction of the college chapel, begun in 1446, was not completed only in 1544 under King Henry VIII. King's College Chapel is considered a jewel of late Gothic architecture. The world's largest fan ceiling, stained glass windows and wooden altar screen make the chapel a unique masterpiece of Gothic architecture, and the chapel itself has become a symbol of Cambridge - like Big Ben in London or the Eiffel Tower in Paris. The chapel is decorated with Rubens' painting "The Adoration of the Magi". The chapel choir is known far beyond Cambridge, and Christmas carols are broadcast every year on Christmas Eve on the BBC.
The college itself, which was conceived as a very modest building, has subsequently became a magnificent symbol of royal patronage. The college received considerable feudal privileges, coupled with generous donations from the from the royal treasury. For many years, King's College was attended only by graduates of Eton from Eton. Now the link with Eton has weakened, but there is still a special scholarship scholarship for Eton graduates only. King's College now admits more public school leavers than any other college in Cambridge, and, if a student comes from a working-class family, it's much easier for them to settle at King's College. Perhaps this is what determined the high political activity of King's College students, their participation in protests and strikes. King's College political organisations have traditionally have traditionally held left-wing views - to the point of earning the epithet "red King's" college.
