again assembled in the Temple and processed to the Great Hall where the Bailiff addressed the audience. He recalled the royal visit of 1846 and stated that the intention of memorialising that visit had inspired the construction of a college for the instruction of youth and of promenades for the recreation of the public. He stated that the interest shown by the Queen and the Prince in the college had led them to present two portraits. The Lieutenant-Governor then formally presented the portraits of the royal couple. The quality of the portraits, copies of Winterhalter, was criticised in the press. The initial uniform consisted of a jacket, waistcoat and trousers in black or dark green, and a cap of the same colour. The establishment of the College represented the triumph for those who wished to anglicise Jersey. World war period By the end of the 19th century, the school had gained a reputation for producing students who would go on to study at military academies in the United Kingdom, including Woolwich and Sandhurst, or take up direct appointments in the military, naval and civil service of the armed forces. At a time when the British Empire was at its height, this reputation came as no surprise, with many students' fathers being former officers and colonial administrators, and with there being a strong military influence in the island at the time. Within the first twenty-five years of the institution of the Victoria Cross in 1856, three Old Victorians were awarded the honour for their services, with two further alumni receiving the award for their service during World War I. In early 1940 the school remained largely unaffected by the outbreak of war in Europe, and although many young Jerseymen had left the island to join the war effort, several English parents had sent their sons to board at the school, believing the Channel Islands to be the safest place in the British Isles. However, developments in the war throughout May that year and the eventual collapse of French resistance meant it became clear the island was in danger. The Channel Islands were demilitarised in the belief that this would best protect the lives of the islanders, meaning many feared the imminent occupation of the islands by German forces. While many other schools in Jersey left evacuation decisions in the hands of parents, Victoria College decided to evacuate some boys and their