KEELE NEWS AND UPDATES
Monday 1 December 2025 marked 60 years since the Chapel at Keele University was officially dedicated in the presence of the Royal Family – a proud milestone in the University’ s history.
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KEELE NEWS AND UPDATES
Keele Chapel celebrates 60th Anniversary of Royal dedication
Monday 1 December 2025 marked 60 years since the Chapel at Keele University was officially dedicated in the presence of the Royal Family – a proud milestone in the University’ s history.
With the campus blanketed in snow, the 1965 dedication ceremony drew hundreds of attendees, including Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, her daughter and Keele’ s then Chancellor, Princess Margaret, and representatives from the Anglican, Roman Catholic, Church of England, and Free Churches. Before the service, Princess Margaret presented her mother – who had officially opened the University in 1951 – with an honorary Degree of Letters in a packed Walter Moberly Hall.
The Chapel was the first religious building in the country designed specifically for shared Christian worship, marking a landmark step toward greater unity among denominations. Before its construction, services were held in a temporary hut, though Keele’ s Founding Principal, Lord Lindsay, had always envisioned a permanent, multidenominational chapel at the heart of campus.
Architect George Pace was appointed in 1958, guided by a 13-point statement developed by representatives from across Europe and the USA at the World Council of Churches. Construction began in 1959 and continued until 1965, funded by the generosity of thousands of donors. Early sketches imagined a sandstone building, but a gift from the Berry Hill Brick Company led to the Chapel’ s distinctive Staffordshire blue-brick design.
Stretching 136 feet and illuminated by more than 300 windows, the Chapel was built for shared worship, featuring a central altar open to all denominations. Two smaller side chapels – one for Roman Catholic services and one for Free Church Communion – were constructed at 45-degree angles, separated by a 6.5-tonne retractable soundproof screen that allowed simultaneous services, reflecting Keele’ s commitment to innovation and unity.