For the ship of the same name, see Royal Charter (ship). A royal charter is a formal document issued by a monarch as a letter patent, granting a right or power to an individual or a body corporate. They were, and are still, used to establish significant organisations such as cities or universities. Charters should be distinguished from warrants and letters of appointment, as they have perpetual effect. Typically, a royal charter is produced as a high-quality work of calligraphy. Charters have been used in Europe since mediæval times to create cities (i.e., localities with recognised legal rights and privileges). The date that such a charter was granted is considered to be when a city was "founded", regardless of when the locality originally began to be settled. At one time a royal charter was the only way in which an incorporated body could be formed, but other means (such as the registration process for limited companies) are generally now used instead. Among the past and present groups formed by royal charter are the British East India Company, the Hudson's Bay Company, the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company (P&O), the British South Africa Company, and some of the former British colonies on the North American mainland. Contents 1 Australia 1.1 Universities and colleges 1.2 Professional organisations 2 Belgium 3 Canada 3.1 Companies and societies 3.2 Territories and communities 3.3 Universities and colleges 4 Hong Kong 5 Ireland 6 South Africa 7 United Kingdom 8 United States 9 See also 10 External links 11 Footnotes // Australia Scout Association of Australia Universities and colleges The University of Sydney obtained a Royal Charter in 18581 Professional organisations This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it. Chartered Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA) The Institute of Directors (IoD) [2] Chartered Institute of Personnel & Development Royal Australasian College of Surgeons Australian Institute of Building Chartered Institute of Management Accountants[3] Engineers Australia Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators Institute of Chartered Accountants of Australia Royal Agricultural and Horticultural Society of South Australia Incorporated Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists Royal Australian Artillery Association Royal Australia and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists Royal Town Planning Institute Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) Royal Australian Chemical Institute The Institution of Engineering and Technology The Commonwealth War Graves Commission The Institution of Engineers(India)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Institution_of_Engineers Association of Chartered Certified Accountants ACCA Belgium The royal decree is the equivalent in Belgium of a Royal Charter. In the period before 1958, 32 higher education institutes had been by royal charter: these were typically engineering or technical institutions rather than universities.2 However, several non-technical higher education institutions have been founded, or refounded, under royal decree: Fonds de la Recherche Scientifique, National Fund for Scientific Research, 19283 Koninklijke Vlaamse Academie van België voor Wetenschappen en Kunsten, 19384 International Institute for Research and Education, 1982 Irish International University, 19995 Canada The Hudson's Bay Company building in Montreal A Royal Charter is granted by Order-in-Council, either creating an incorporated body, or giving an existent one special status.6 This is an exercise of the Royal Prerogative, and, in Canada, there are hundreds of organizations under Royal Charters. Such organizations include charities, businesses, colleges, universities, and cities. Today, it is mostly charities and professional institutions who receive Royal Charters. Application for a charter is a petition to the Queen-in-Council. To receive a Royal Charter, the organization must have corporate members who have at least first degree level in a relevant field, consist of 5,000 members or more, be financially sound, and it must be in the public interest to regulate the institution under a charter. However, meeting these benchmarks does not guarantee the issuance of a Royal Charter.7 Companies and societies Companies, corporations, and societies in Canada founded under or augmented by a Royal Charter include: The Hudson's Bay Company; founded by a Royal Charter issued in 1670 by King Charles II8 The Royal Commonwealth Society; founded by a Royal Charter issued in 1882 by Queen Victoria9 The Royal Society of Canada; founded by a Royal Charter issued in 1883 by Queen Victoria The Royal Kennebecasis Yacht Club; founded by a Royal Charter issued in 1898 by Queen Victoria10 The Royal Astronomical Society of Canada; founded by a Royal Charter issued in 1903 by King Edward VII11 Scouts Canada; founded by a Royal Charter issued in 1912 by King George V12 The Royal Academy of Dance; founded in 1920 as the Association of Teachers of Operatic Dancing; reconstituted by a Royal Charter issued in 1936 by King George V13 The Royal Conservatory of Music; founded in 1886 as the Toronto Conservatory of Music; reconstituted by a Royal Charter issued in 1947 by King George VI14 The Royal Winnipeg Ballet; founded by a Royal Charter issued in 1953 by Queen Elizabeth II15 The Royal Life Saving Society of Canada; founded by a Royal Charter issued in 1960 by Queen Elizabeth II16 The Royal Hamilton College of Music; founded in 1897 as the Hamilton Conservatory of Music; reconstituted by a Royal Charter issued in 1965 by Queen Elizabeth II17 The Royal Western Nova Scotia Yacht Club; founded in 1898 as the Digby Yacht Club; reconstituted by a Royal Charter issued in 1969 by Queen Elizabeth II18 Royal Ontario Museum, created in 1912 under the Royal Ontario Museum Act by the Province of Ontario, hence not created by a royal charter Royal Canadian Yacht Club created by Royal Charter 1854 The Royal Heraldry Society of Canada; founded in 1966 as the Heraldry Society of Canada; reconstituted by a Royal Charter issued in 2002 by Queen Elizabeth II19 Territories and communities

Cities under Royal Charter are not subject to municipal Acts of parliament applied generally to other municipalities, and instead are governed by legislation applicable to each city individually. The Royal Charter codifies the laws applied to the particular city, and lays out the powers and responsibilities not given to other municipalities in the province concerned. Saint John; founded by a Royal Charter issued in 1785 by King George III20 Vancouver Winnipeg Montreal21 Nova Scotia; founded by a Royal Charter issued in 1621 by King James I22 Universities and colleges A number of Canadian universities and colleges were founded under Royal Charter. The University of King's College; founded by a Royal Charter issued in 1802 by King George III King's-Edgehill School; founded as King's Collegiate School by Royal Assent in 1788 and granted Royal Charter in 1802 by King George III McGill University; founded as the Royal Institution for the Advancement of Learning by a Royal Charter issued in 1821 by King George IV; reconstituted by a Royal Charter issued in 1852 by Queen Victoria23 The University of Toronto; founded as King's College by a Royal Proclamation issued in 1827 by King George IV24 Upper Canada College; founded by a Royal Charter issued in 1829 by King George IV Queen's University; founded by a Royal Charter issued in 1841 by Queen Victoria25 Université Laval; founded by a Royal Charter issued in 1852 by Queen Victoria26 The University of Trinity College (later became a constituent college of the University of Toronto); given university status by a Royal Charter issued by Queen Victoria in 1852 Bishop's University; founded by a Royal Charter issued in 1853 by Queen Victoria27 Hong Kong The Emblem of Royal Observatory Hong Kong

Between 1842-1997, a number of organizations had received Royal Charter: Royal Hong Kong Regiment (The Volunteers) was granted Royal Charter in 1951 and disbanded in 1995 Royal Hong Kong Police Force was granted Royal Charter in 1969 by Queen Elizabeth II, now Hong Kong Police Force (since 1997). Royal Hong Kong Jockey Club obtained Royal Charter in 1959, now Hong Kong Jockey Club (since 1996). Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club was granted Royal Charter in 1894 Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals - now the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Hong Kong)(since 1997) Royal Observatory, Hong Kong was granted Royal Charter in 1912 by King George V - now Hong Kong Observatory (since 1997)28 Royal Hong Kong Auxiliary Air Force was granted Royal Charter in 1951 by King George VI - now Government Flying Service (since 1993) Royal Hong Kong Golf Club was granted Royal Charter in 1889 - now Hong Kong Golf Club (since 1996) Standard Chartered Bank was granted Royal Charter in 1853. It is one of the three banknote-issuing banks in Hong Kong. The Royal Asiatic Society Hong Kong Branch Ireland A number of Irish institutions still have a "Royal" prefix, even though the country has been a republic since 1949. Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (1784) Royal Black Institution (1797) Royal Irish Academy - Charter granted 1785 Royal Cork Yacht Club - (Est. 1720) A more detailed list of current Irish institutions with Royal patronage is available here A list of former Royal institutions with ties to Ireland, but they were mostly British institutions created in Ireland during British rule: Royal Irish Regiment (1684–1922) - disbanded Royal Irish Constabulary 1868-1922 - disbanded and replaced by Garda Síochána Royal Irish Artillery - disbanded 1801 Royal Irish Rifles - disbanded 1763 Royal Ulster Rifles 1793-1881 - renamed Royal Irish Rifles and retained named until 1921 (renamed as Royal Ulster Rifles until 1947 when it merged with Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers and Royal Irish Fusiliers to form North Irish Brigade Royal Irish Fusiliers 1827-1947 Royal University of Ireland 1880-1908 Royal Irish Fisheries Company South Africa

The University of South Africa received a Royal Charter in 1877. United Kingdom Main article: List of organisations in the United Kingdom with a royal charter Among the 750 or so organisations with Royal Charters are cities; the Bank of England; the BBC; theatres such as the Royal Opera House and the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane; Livery Companies; universities (mostly those founded before 1993); professional institutions, such as the Institution of Royal Engineers and charities.29 A Royal Charter is the manner in which a British town is raised to the rank of city. Most recently Inverness, Brighton & Hove and Wolverhampton were given their charters to celebrate the millennium, and Preston, Stirling, Newport, Lisburn and Newry to celebrate the Golden Jubilee of Elizabeth II in 2002. Most British universities operate under Royal Charters, which give them the power to grant degrees. The most recent generation of UK universities were granted the power to grant degrees by the Further and Higher Education Act 1992 instead of by Royal Charter, while some other universities operate under Acts of Parliament. The University of Buckingham and BPP University College are the only private education institutions that have received a royal charter. The BBC operates under a Royal Charter which lasts for a limited period of ten years, after which it is renewed. Most Royal Charters are now granted to professional institutions and to charities. For example, the six accountancy institutes which make up the Consultative Committee of Accountancy Bodies each have a Royal Charter which allows their members to call themselves Chartered Accountants. A Charter is not necessary for them to operate, but one is often sought as a recognition of "pre-eminence, stability and permanence".

A Royal Charter changes a body from a collection of individuals into a single legal entity. Once incorporated by Royal Charter, amendments to the Charter and by-laws require government approval.29 United States This section does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (November 2010) Although several American universities which predate the American Revolution purport to hold royal charters, in a number of cases they were in fact created by a grant from a local authority such as a colonial legislature. Colleges created by royal charter (technically, by letters patent) from King William III and Queen Mary II of England: The College of William & Mary 1693 Colleges created by King George II of Great Britain: Columbia University 1754 as King's College American colleges popularly believed to have been established by Royal Charter, but actually by some other type of grant: Harvard College 1639 - By Act of the Great and General Court of the Massachusetts Bay Colony Yale University 1701 - as Collegiate School by Act of the General Assembly of Connecticut Princeton University 1746 - as College of New Jersey by the General Assembly of the Province of New Jersey Brown University 1764 - as College of Rhode Island by Letters Patent from The Governor and General Assembly of the English Colony of Rhode Island Rutgers University 1766 - as Queen's College by Governor William Franklin of New Jersey Dartmouth College 1769 - by Letters Patent by King George III via the Governor of the province of New Hampshire. The distinction between the Letters Patent forming Dartmouth versus those documents founding William & Mary or Kings College (Columbia) is that the seal of the Province of New Hampshire appears on the Dartmouth document, while the Great Seal of the Realm appears on the William & Mary and King's documents. See also Koninklijk in the Netherlands and Belgium Congressional charter, equivalent document in the United States External links Privy Council website Royal Charter of the BBC Royal Charter of the Australian Academy of the Humanities Charter of the University of Birmingham Royal Charter of Rhode Island (1663) Footnotes ^ Policy Online Search ^ Non-University Higher Technical Education in Belgium Gilbert Van Vaek and Henk Van Daele ^ Gilbert Van Vaek and Henk Van Daele ^ Belgium Royal Historical Commission ^ The Irish International University ^ Privy Council Office: Royal Charter ^ Privy Council: Royal Charter ^ "Corporate Collections > Reference > The Charter". Hudson's Bay Company. http://www.hbc.com/hbcheritage/collections/archival/charter/. Retrieved 14 June 2007.  ^ The Royal Commonwealth Society: Values of the Royal Commonwealth Society ^ New Brunswick; reprint of: Kurley, Daniel; Times Globe: Elusive Oak; June 11, 1998 ^ Royal Astronomical Society of Canada: Going Royal: A History of Public Service ^ George V (4 January 1912), "Royal Charter of The Boy Scouts Association", written at Westminster, in Scouts Canada, Scoutdocs, Ottawa: King's Printer, http://scoutdocs.ca/Scouts_Canada_Act/Royal_Charter.php, retrieved 23 May 2009  ^ Royal Academy of Dance Canada: About us ^ Royal Conservatory of Music: The RCM: History of The Royal Conservatory of Music ^ Canada Council for the Arts: Royal Winnipeg Ballet ^ The Royal Life Saving Society of Canada Saskatchewan Branch, Inc.; Constitution ^ The Canadian Encyclopedia: Royal Hamilton College of Music ^ Royal Western Nova Scotia Yacht Club: Annapolis Basin ^ The Royal Heraldry Society of Canada: Ottawa, Ontario ^ City Solicitor (June 2000), "Powers of Canadian Cities: The legal framework", Canada's Cities: Unleash our Potential, Toronto: City of Toronto, http://www.canadascities.ca/caoreport_062000_1.htm#3, retrieved 23 May 2009  ^ Canada's Cities: Unleash our Potential ^ Canada4Life; Nova Scotia ^ Victoria (6 July 1852), "Royal Charter of McGill University", written at Westminster, in McGill University, Admin and Governance > University Secretariat, Montreal: Queen's Printer, http://www.mcgill.ca/secretariat/charter-statutes/royal/, retrieved 23 May 2009  ^ Trinity College: About Trinity: History ^ Queen's University: Queen's University Royal Charter ^ Le Bas Canada 1763-1867 ^ Canada Post: Canada Post confers stamp on Bishop's University; 20 January 2003 ^ [1] ^ a b Privy Council Office - Chartered Bodies v · d · e  Canadian monarchy The Crown Monarchy of Canada · Monarchy in the Canadian provinces (BC AB SK MB ON QC NB NS PE NL) · List of Canadian monarchs · List of Royal Consorts of Canada · Canadian Royal Family Viceroys Governor General of Canada · List of Governors General of Canada · Lieutenant governors in Canada · List of lieutenant governors in Canada (BC AB SK MB ON QC NB NS PE NL) Constitutional Queen-in-Council · Queen-in-Parliament · Queen-on-the-Bench · Queen's peace · The Canadian Crown and the Canadian Forces · The Canadian Crown and Aboriginal peoples Legal Royal charter · Royal commissions · Crown corporations · Crown copyright · Queen's Printer · Crown Collection Ceremonial and symbolic Canadian royal symbols · Title and style of the Canadian monarch · Chapels Royal · Royal tours of Canada Related History of monarchy in Canada · Debate on the monarchy in Canada