Winchester College has played host to many royal visits from the 15th century to the present day, a popular stop on any royal tour of the city. College records show that Henry VI visited at least eight times during his long reign while his successor Edward IV visited three times in the 1460s. Henry VIII brought Emperor Charles V here during his Winchester visit in 1522 and Mary Tudor and Philip of Spain were fêted here during the celebration of their wedding in Winchester in July 1554. Charles I was welcomed with speeches in 1629 and other Stuart monarchs visited including Charles II (1682), his brother James II (1687) and Queen Anne (1705). George III was also greeted with pealing bells during his 1778 visit. Royal visits continued in the 20th century: George V visited in 1912 as did his heir, Edward, Prince of Wales (who later abdicated the throne as Edward VIII) in November 1923. King George VI and Queen Elizabeth visited the college on 17 May 1946 while their daughter Queen Elizabeth II was also greeted formally in the ‘ad portas’ tradition of the college and presented medals during her visit to the college in 1955. The Queen returned to visit the college again 27 years later in 1982.
