The Royal College of Physicians (RCP) is honoured to announce that Her Majesty the Queen visited its Regents Park headquarters today to celebrate the RCP’s 500th anniversary year.
Her Majesty came face to face with a portrait of her predecessor King Henry VIII, who agreed to the founding of the college in 1518 when asked by his own personal doctor Thomas Linacre. Her Majesty was shown the founding Charter and the RCP’s own portrait of Henry VIII, along with other key objects from the RCP’s history.
The oldest medical royal college in England, the RCP was founded to regulate the many unqualified physicians and dubious cures of the time in a Charter, ratified by parliament and enforced by the RCP for centuries. The RCP remains responsible for the standards of education and training of today’s physicians.
In a rare public engagement, we welcomed Her Majesty, who unveiled a modern day RCP500 charter that re-pledges our commitment to our core values – maintaining high standards of medical care for patients, values that have remained constant over 500 years. On her visit the Queen returned to the RCP’s Grade 1 listed modernist home designed by Sir Denys Lasdun, having opened the building in 1964.
Our 500th anniversary will not only celebrate our past, but it also gives us the opportunity to recognise today’s healthcare challenges and inspire the doctors of the future. During her visit the Queen met a range of doctors at all levels, from trainees to consultant physicians working in the NHS, in addition to RCP staff working in partnership with doctors to ensure the success of the NHS.
Few organisations reach this extraordinary quincentennial milestone or boast such an impressive historical story. Throughout its history the RCP’s has had continuous links with the Royal family - almost 50 years after our 1518 charter, Elizabeth I signed the charter for anatomies, giving the college the right to 4 bodies of hanged criminals each year, for anatomy lessons.
Her Majesty was shown some of the objects from our impressive museum and archives, including a leech box and bleeding bowl from our recently opened special RCP500 exhibition ‘Ceaseless Motion: William Harvey’s Experiments in Circulation.’ This exhibition celebrates the life and works of revolutionary physician William Harvey, whose ground-breaking discovery of the circulation of blood changed the face of medicine.
To mark this special year, ‘Ceaseless Motion…’ features as part of a rich programme of events offering diverse opportunities for members and fellows and the wider public to get involved.
Our 500th anniversary is a chance to reflect on our past achievements, present ambitions, and ambition to drive forward healthcare standards into the future. Our pioneering reports on tobacco and alcohol have influenced present day legislation, including the ban on smoking in public places. As a professional medical body our membership has grown to 34,000 physicians worldwide and has recently included physician associates and medical students.
Professor Jane Dacre, RCP president:
‘We are honoured to be sharing this landmark celebration with the Queen. Her presence shows the importance of the RCP in maintaining the highest possible quality of care for patients. While remaining true to our founding principles, we are committed to remaining forward looking and relevant to the lives of physicians, supporting the day-to-day care of patients.’
Dr Ian Bullock, chief executive officer:
‘It is exciting for us to welcome Her Majesty, which is the beginning of a series of celebratory events and activities in 2018 leading up to our anniversary day on Sunday 23 September. Her Majesty’s visit like many of the events will raise awareness of the daily contribution that the RCP makes in delivering high quality care for all by physicians across the UK and around the world. Throughout 2018 we will celebrate the College’s remarkable achievements, highlighting significant moments in history and sharing the work we do today, relevant, innovative and aimed at improving the patients experience of care.’
Clive Constable, deputy CEO:
‘The Royal visit represents not only our 500th anniversary celebrations, but our continued relationship with Her Majesty and her Royal Predecessors, from King Henry VIII onwards. Our ties with the Royal family have featured throughout our journey of growth and enduring excellence in patient centred care. In 1964 her Majesty opened our Grade 1 listed building, and in 1986 she returned to open our medical precinct of terraced houses designed by John Nash, refurbished to accommodate RCP departments and other medical organisations. This year, it’s our very special 500th anniversary and we are proud to share this with Her Majesty.’
Images representing upcoming events and exhibitions, and highlighting the treasures contained in the Royal College of Physicians’ collections are available. For visuals, and to discuss interviews, please contact Joyce Yung, +44 (0)203 075 1780, Joyce.Yung@rcplondon.ac.uk or Linda Cuthbertson, +44 (0)20 3075 1254, Linda.Cuthbertson@rcplondon.ac.uk
Social media: @RCPLondon #RCP500 / @RoyalFamily / Instagram: theroyalfamily
View details here of our special RCP500 anniversary programme, which includes especially themed conferences, exhibitions, lectures and dinners. We also have a special dedicated history site: https://history.rcplondon.ac.uk/ Exhibitions are free and open Mon-Fri 9-5pm.
The Royal College of Physicians
Everything that we do at the Royal College of Physicians (RCP) aims to improve patient care and reduce illness. We are patient centred and clinically led. We drive improvement in the diagnosis of disease, the care of individual patients and the health of the whole population, both in the UK and across the globe.
Our 34,000 members worldwide work in hospitals and the community across 30 different medical specialties. They range from medical students to retired doctors. Physicians diagnose and treat illness, and promote good health. They care for millions of medical patients with a huge range of conditions, from asthma and diabetes to stroke and yellow fever. Physicians’ clinical work ranges from caring for patients who are acutely unwell in hospital, to supporting patients to manage long-term health problems at home and encouraging people to stay fit and healthy in the community.
- RCP is also the oldest royal medical college in England and Wales, marking its 500th anniversary in 2018. Its collections relate to the history of the medical college, and to the physician's profession. Collections range from portraits, providing a pictorial and sculptural record of fellows and physicians associated with the RCP, from its foundation in 1518 to the present, the fascinating Symons collection of medical instruments, the Hoffbrand collection of apothecary jars and a rare set of six 17th century human remains, our ‘anatomical tables’.
The RCP moved into its current grade 1 listed home designed by acclaimed architect Sir Denys Lasdun in 1964. The archives hold a complete record of RCP activities, from its foundation, including the regulation of medical practice, the use of pharmaceuticals and the papers of 200 key medical personalities. The 13th-19th century manuscript collections include rare medical treatises, domestic medical recipes and medical reports on public figures and royalty amongst numerous treasures.