The Princess (W. S. Gilbert play) College, the first university-level women's college in Britain, had been established at the University of Cambridge in 1869. However, by the time Gilbert and Sullivan collaborated on "Princess Ida" in 1883, a women's college was a well-established concept. Westfield College, London's first women's college, had opened in 1882 and is cited as a model for Castle Adamant, the women's college in "Princess Ida". The lyrics to the songs in "The Princess" were set to popular tunes from popular operetta and grand opera of the time, including works by Hervé and Jacques Offenbach. The three young men are played by women,
Gilbert J. Sullivan for assisting numerous students, both individually and through assistance to student organizations. Three scholarships in his name continue that tradition. The Gilbert J. Sullivan Scholarship is awarded every year by the UVA Parents Committee to a current, non-legacy rising third year student who currently receives financial aid from the Office of Financial Aid and has a demonstrated record of citizenship, leadership, academic achievement and financial need. The Z Society endows a Gilbert J. Sullivan Internship Scholarship, awarded to a returning undergraduate student and "intended to provide an opportunity to take a summer internship otherwise unattainable because of financial constraints." Also,