Columbia Hosted a Royal Visit in 1939

Columbia was founded as King’s College when King George II issued a royal charter in 1754 without him ever setting foot on campus. But in 1939, Columbia, by then a university, finally received a nod to its sovereign heritage when King George VI and Queen Elizabeth paid a visit to the institution established by the king’s fifth great-grandfather.

The royals made the Morningside stop as part of their North American tour that year. It marked the first visit by British monarchs to the continent, and Columbia was added to the itinerary by the king’s request to honor its royal origins.

However, George VI had one caveat — he didn’t want to give any public addresses or speeches. His Majesty spoke with a stutter, as dramatized in the film The King’s Speech and referenced in letters from the State Department to University president Nicholas Murray Butler CC 1882. If any “talking pictures” (video footage for newsreels) would be taken at the event, the State Department recommended Butler “and the king move [their] lips” so the king would not have to speak at all.

The visit was scheduled to last 15 minutes, between the royals’ visits to the World’s Fair in Queens and President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s home in Hyde Park. They entered campus through the Amsterdam gates and were driven to Low Library, where they were greeted by Butler, trustees and their spouses. Inside Low, they saw the original charter from King George II and signed the official University guestbook before getting back in their car to head north.

And while Butler gave remarks to welcome the king and queen, the king made it through without uttering a single word to the public.