United Kingdom
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.
A Royal Charter is the mechanism by which a British town is raised to the status of city. Most recently Chelmsford in Essex was granted a Royal Charter in celebration of Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee in 2012. 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, giving them the authority to award degrees. The most recent generation of UK universities were granted the power to award 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, The College of Law and Malvern College are the only private education institutions to have received a Royal Charter.
Almost without exception, the longstanding learned societies, such as the Royal Society, Royal Society of Literature, etc have Royal Charters.
Most Royal Charters are now granted to professional institutions such as the Chartered Institute of Linguists, and to charities such as the Royal Photographic Society. 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 style themselves Chartered Accountants. A Charter is not necessary for them to operate, but one is often sought as recognition of "pre-eminence, stability and permanence".
The BBC operates under a Royal Charter which lasts for a limited period of ten years, after which it is renewed.
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.
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