
Amendments to Charters can be made only with the agreement of The King in Council, and amendments to the body’s Bye-laws or Statutes require the approval of the Privy Council (though not normally of His Majesty). How can a Chartered body amend its Charter?Įach Charter will normally specify the process the organisation needs to follow internally in order to apply for amendment to its Charter, Bye-Laws or Statutes. They can be contacted by email at: Chartered organisations have, separately, applied for and been granted permission to use ‘Royal’ in their title, in addition to receiving a Charter. A Charter does not confer on an organisation the right to use Royal names and titles, including the title ‘Royal’.Īpplications for the use of the title ‘Royal’ in a company or business name are considered by the Royal Names Team of the Constitution Group of the Cabinet Office. Does having a Royal Charter entitle an organisation to use the title ‘Royal’?

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We offer Guidance on how to apply for a Charter on our website. How does an organisation apply for a Royal Charter? When legislation was introduced in the 19th century facilitating the incorporation of commercial enterprises, and with the advent of charities legislation, the occasion for incorporation by the grant of a Charter became much reduced, and the grant of a Charter came to be seen more as a special token of Royal favour or as a mark of distinction.Īs such, it came to be limited to bodies pre-eminent in their field and satisfying certain criteria, which varied according to the category in which the applicant fell, and since the 1950s one of these criteria has been that the petitioner shall exist not solely to advance the interests of its members but also, and primarily, to advance the public interest. Various criteria were applied over the years to such grants. By this means, universities, colleges, schools, municipalities, guilds and livery companies, a wide range of benevolent institutions and, with the development of trade, a growing number of joint stock companies were incorporated over a long period. What is the history of incorporation by Charter?īefore the 19th century, the grant of a Charter of Incorporation was the principal method of creating separate legal personalities. In excess of 1000 Charters have been granted. In both cases, the work is instigated by the applicant or the Chartered body itself. The role of the Privy Council Office only extends to dealing with applications for new Charters and amendments to existing ones. The authority for the grant of a Charter comes from the Royal Prerogative, that is to say, the grant is made by the Sovereign (on the advice of the Privy Council).Īn institution incorporated by Charter is, subject to the general law, generally self-regulating and not answerable to the Privy Council or the Privy Council Office in relation to the conduct of its internal affairs. Incorporation by Charter is a prestigious way of acquiring legal personality and reflects the high status of that body. What effect does ‘incorporation’ by Royal Charter have on a body? The terms of each Charter are therefore somewhat different, depending on the individual requirements of the type of organisation that is being incorporated. What is a Royal Charter?Ī Royal Charter is an instrument of incorporation, granted by The King, which confers independent legal personality on an organisation and defines its objectives, constitution and powers to govern its own affairs. Many older universities in England, Wales and Northern Ireland are also Chartered Bodies.

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Nowadays, though Charters are still occasionally granted to cities, new Charters are normally reserved for bodies that work in the public interest (such as professional institutions and charities) and which can demonstrate pre-eminence, stability and permanence in their particular field. Their original purpose was to create public or private corporations (including towns and cities), and to define their privileges and purpose. Royal Charters, granted by the Sovereign on the advice of the Privy Council, have a history dating back to the 13th century.
