May Day Festival

The first May Day Festival was held at Whitelands College in 1881, at the instigation of Ruskin, whose wish was that each year the women students should elect ‘the likeablest and the loveablest' of their number to be their May Queen. This enchanting tradition has survived and each year the May Monarch is installed on a Saturday in May by a visiting bishop at an impressive ceremony in the College. Until 1986 a May Queen was elected, now a May Queen or a May King can be chosen.

The day features a procession of former May Monarchs, often wearing their original outfits.

The next May Day 2012 is on Saturday 19th May

For further information about May Day or other events at Whitelands College please contact Gilly King gilly.king@roehampton.ac.uk or +44 (0)20 8392 3514.