Royal college

A Royal College in some Commonwealth countries is technically a college which has received permission to use the prefix Royal. Permission is usually granted through a Royal Charter. The charter normally confers a constitution with perpetual succession and the right to sue or be sued independently of the members. The charter also usually provide for rights of recourse to the Queen in Council. Although incorporation is now cheaply and easily obtainable by registration, the distinction of a Royal Charter means that such charters are still sought by and granted to institutions considered to be in the public interest, typically learned professional societies.

Although many institutions are formally Royal Colleges, such as the three royal public schools of Westminster, Winchester and Eton, the phrase "The Royal Colleges" is commonly applied to the medical professional societies, such as the Royal College of Surgeons and the Royal College of Physicians, and the Royal College of Nursing and similar institutions in Australia, Canada, and elsewhere. These colleges enjoy a special status whereby they can confer recognised post-nominal titles comparable to degrees, eg Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons, and they are frequently granted statutory licensing, regulatory and disciplinary powers over their own members and even others.

Royal College Colombo is the leading public school in Sri Lanka established by the British government.

List of Royal Colleges

Incomplete

Australia and New Zealand

• Royal Australian College of General Practitioners.
• Royal Australasian College of Physicians
• Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia
• Royal College of Nursing, Australia
• Royal Australasian College of Surgeons
• Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists
• Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Radiologists
• Royal Military College, Duntroon
• Royal Australian Naval College

Canada

• Royal College of Dentists of Canada
• Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada
• Royal Military College of Canada

Sri Lanka

• Royal College Colombo, Sri Lanka

United Kingdom

• The old Royal Colleges;
  • Eton College, Windsor
  • Winchester College, Hampshire
  • Westminster School, London
• Royal College of Art, London
• Royal College of Defence Studies, London
• Royal College of Music, London
• Royal College of Physicians, London
• Royal College of Psychiatrists, London
• Royal College of Organists, Birmingham
• Royal College of Obstetrics & Gynecology, London
• Royal College of Pathologists, London
• Royal Holloway College, London
• Royal Air Force College, Cranwell
• Royal Naval College, Greenwich
• Britannia Royal Naval College, Dartmouth
• Royal Military College of Science (now the Defence College of Management and Technology)