Piers Gaveston Society
The Piers Gaveston Society is a dining club founded in 1977 at the University of Oxford. It is named in honour of Piers Gaveston, favourite and supposed lover of King Edward II of England. In recent years, parties run by the society have been the focus of increased tabloid news coverage.
History
The Piers Gaveston Society was founded in 1977 by a group of friends that included the brewery heir Valentine Guinness (younger son of the 3rd Baron Moyne). It was then limited to 12 male members.[1]
The Society was first brought into the spotlight in 1983 after photos of the ball at the Park Lane Hotel leaked to the public, including photos of the young actor Hugh Grant.[1]
Motto
The club's motto is Template:Lang-la which translates roughly as "Truly, none remember hearing of a man enjoying another so much".[2]
Crest
The clubs crest is an adaptation of the original coat of arms of Piers Gaveston.
Activities
While some have described it as an extreme club that hosts secret events which include drug use and promiscuous sex,[3] others have said that the society's events – at least during the 1990s – were not as debauched or scandalous as the media portrayed.[2]
Attendants allegedly have to sign a non-disclosure agreement before participating to the society's events, and no phones are allowed.[4]
Membership
Membership is limited to 10 undergraduates, grouped into 'Masters' and 'Minions'.
To join the Society as a 'Minion' an undergraduate must attend a party before submitting an application and being elected by existing members. In their second year as a member they become Masters, and are paired with a Minion.[2]
Non-members are invited to most events including the winter, spring and summer balls. Each member may invite dozens of guests, who may be blackballed by other members if deemed unsuitable.[2]
Piggate
Piggate refers to an uncorroborated anecdote by a British MP that the former British Prime Minister David Cameron “inserted a private part of his anatomy” into a dead pig’s mouth as part of a Piers Gaveston Society initiation ceremony. The Piers Gaveston Society received significant media attention as a result of Piggate.
See also
References
- ^ a b MIDGLEY, DOMINIC (27 September 2017). "PIERS GAVESTON: Secrets of Oxford drinking club where anything goes". Express.co.uk. Retrieved 7 November 2022.
- ^ a b c d Nadia Khomami (21 September 2015). "David Cameron and the Piers Gaveston: what we know of Oxford 'secret society'". The Guardian. Retrieved 21 September 2015.
- ^ Slater, Sasha (23 December 2010). "New hedonists beat decadence of my youth". London Evening Standard.
- ^ Thomson, Jess (16 July 2021). "Inside Oxford University's Most Exclusive Sex Party". www.vice.com. Retrieved 7 November 2022.