Student row over motion to hang King Charles portrait in common room

A row broke out among sections of the student body over a motion to hang a portrait of King Charles in a university college common room.

Members of Magdalen College Junior Common Room (JCR) in favour of hanging the portrait complained of being faced with “intimidation and physical threats”.

Proposer of the motion at the JCR committee meeting Ciaron Tobin said the JCR also refused to publish a statement wishing the King good health.

Mr Tobin said he could not attend the meeting in person and "physical intimidation has impacted the 'welfare' of the supporters".

But Aaron McIntyre, JCR President, and Senior Dean Simon Horobin say this is "untrue".

Mr McIntyre insisted there were not enough people at the meeting to discuss the motion and "no view on its merit has been expressed by the JCR" .

In a statement read out, Mr Tobin said: “The motion before the JCR is supremely uncontroversial and aims to unify the JCR under positive values inherent in the British system.

"Vote for this motion. God Save The King.”

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He told the Oxford Mail: "Intimidation has plagued Oxford for those defending the Monarchy.

"Intimidating supporters from appearing at the meeting meant quorum could not be reached due to groupthink and peer pressure.

"Supporters were afraid to participate in the meeting," he said, adding he had received abuse online and "a physical confrontation involving shoulder barging".

Mr McIntyre responded: "Under the JCR’s constitution, a special motion may only be considered if at least 40 students are present at a meeting. The meeting was not quorate, because fewer than 40 students were present. As such, the motion was not debated.

"The suggestion that there have been any threats or intimidation towards the proposer of the motion is also untrue to the best of my knowledge."

Magdalen Senior Dean Mr Horobin said: "I understand from the JCR President that a motion relating to His Majesty was put forward to the JCR, but was not debated because the meeting was not quorate.

"It is therefore untrue to suggest that the motion to the JCR was blocked."

He said the College Deans, who are responsible for welfare and discipline, have not received any report of intimidation or physical threats, "and would be very concerned by allegations of conduct of that kind.

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"If any such complaint were made, it would be investigated under the college’s disciplinary procedures."

Mr Horobin said he had twice offered to meet Mr Tobin but Mr Tobin did not follow up on the offers.

In 2021 members of Magdalen College Middle Common Room (MCR)  voted to remove a portrait of the Queen from their common room, saying the image was a symbol of "recent colonial history".

At the time the president of Magdalen said the decision was one for the students, not the college.