Queens' College was first founded in 1448 by Margaret of Anjou. It was refounded in 1465 by Elizabeth Woodville, the wife of Edward IV of England. This is reflected in orthography of the popular name: Queens' instead of Queen's, although the full name is The Queen's College of St Margaret and St Bernard. It is part of the University of Cambridge.

Queens' College is one of several colleges with buildings along the bank of the Cam (others are King's, Clare, Trinity Hall, Trinity, St John's, and Magdalene). The President's Lodge of Queens' is the oldest building on the river at Cambridge (ca. 1460). Queens' College is also one of only two colleges with buildings on its main site on both sides of the Cam (the other being John's).

The 'Mathematical Bridge' connects the older half of the college (affectionately referred to by students as The Dark Side) with the newer half, and is one of the most photographed scenes in Cambridge (the typical photo being taken from the nearby Silver Street bridge). According to popular fable the bridge was originally designed and built by Sir Isaac Newton without the use of nuts or bolts, and at some point in the past students (or fellows, depending on which version you hear) attempted to take the bridge apart and put it back together. The myth continues that the over-ambitious engineers were unable to match Newton's feat of engineering, and had to resort to fastening the bridge by nuts and bolts. This is why nuts and bolts can presently be seen in the bridge. This story is false: the bridge was built in 1749 by James Essex the Younger (1722–1784) to the design of William Etheridge (1709–1776), 22 years after Newton died. It was later rebuilt in 1866 and 1905, albeit to the same design.

Queens' is unique amongst the Cambridge colleges with its multipurpose Fitzpatrick Hall. The level of access that students have enables them to run theatre, films, and bops, as well as the usual sporting activities found at Cambridge colleges. In recent years "Queens' Ents" has acquired a reputation for its bops, attracting famous names such as Pat Sharp and Robbo Ranx .

Eminent Alumni of Queens' College

• M. S. Bartlett, statistician
• Alexander Crummell , (1849 - 1853)
• Thomas Digges, (died 1595)
• Lord Eatwell, (1964 - 1967)
• Michael Foale, (1975 - 1978)
• Stephen Fry, (1978 - 1981)
• John Goodwin, (died 1665)
• John Hall, (died 1635)
• Thomas Horton, (died 1673)
• John Lambert, (1521)
• Arthur Mooring, (1927 - 1930)
• T. H. White, (1925 - 1929)
• John Whitgift, 1549
• Richard Whytford , devotional writer (flourished 1541)

External links

• Queens' College website
• The College's larger list of eminent alumni