About Us

A grant-making educational trust, providing funding for individuals, companies and organisations, particularly in scientific and technological disciplines

The Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851 was established in 1850 by Her Majesty Queen Victoria to organise the Great Exhibition. Prince Albert was appointed President and took personal charge of the whole complex operation.

The Exhibition was an enormous success and made a substantial profit. The Commission, about to be dissolved, was enjoined by Royal Charter to remain constituted and to administer the profits for charitable purposes. The Charter charged the Commission with 'increasing the means of industrial education and extending the influence of science and art upon productive industry'.

To this end the Commission purchased 86 acres of land in South Kensington and established the unique cultural site of three great museums, the Royal Albert Hall and what have become renowned institutions of learning, including Imperial College and the Royal Colleges of Art and Music. It continues to own the freehold of, and manage, much of this estate.

When this huge undertaking was largely complete, there remained sufficient funds for the Royal Commission to set up, in 1891, an educational trust to perpetuate its aims. In spite of generous funding of many worthy enterprises right from the outset, these slender resources have been carefully husbanded over the years. Today, with capital assets of over £40m, annual charitable disbursement exceeds £1.6m.

Giving fellowships and grants to pure research in science and engineering, applied research in industry, industrial design and other projects, the Commission supports the development of science and technology, and its profitable exploitation by British Industry. Details of these competitive educational schemes are on this website.

The Commission

President
HRH The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh KG KT

Commissioners

Sir Alan Rudge CBE FREng FRS Chairman
Mr Alan Baxter FIStructE MICE MCONSE
Dr Joanna Kennedy OBE FREng
Lord Linley
Professor Lord John Krebs Kt FMedSci FRS
Mr Ian Macgregor FCA FRSA
Mr Bernard Taylor FRSC
Dr Caroline Vaughan
Professor Sir David Wallace CBE FREng FRS
Professor Alan Windle FRS

Ex Officio

The President of the Council
The First Lord of the Treasury
The Chancellor of the Exchequer
The Secretary of State for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform
The Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
The President of the Institution of Civil Engineers
The President of the Geological Society

The Commission has an extensive archive of the Great Exhibition and its legacy; enquiries should be addressed to its archivist. Other sources of information are:

The Victoria & Albert Museum - Tel: +44 (0)20 7938 8500
Royal Society of Arts - Tel: +44 (0)20 7930 5115
Public Record Office - Tel: +44 (0)20 8876 3444
Crystal Palace Foundation - Tel: +44 (0)7889 338812

image: One of Paxton's design rough sketches
One of Joseph Paxton's rough sketches drawn on 11 June 1850, during a meeting at the Midland Railway in Derby, and the germ of the design for the Great Exhibition Building of 1851