Royal Historical Society facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Royal Historical Society

Abbreviation	RHistS, RHS
Formation	1868; 157 years ago (1868)
Merger of	Camden Society (1897) with the RHS
Registration no.	206888
Legal status	Charity
Purpose	Historical studies
Headquarters	University College London, Gower Street, WC1E 6BT
Location	London
Membership (2021)	4,500+ members
President	Lucy Noakes
Chief executive officer	Adam Hughes
Key people	Philip Carter, academic director
Main organ	Transactions
Staff	4
Formerly called	The Historical Society

The Royal Historical Society (RHS) is a group in the United Kingdom that helps people study history. It was started in 1868. The RHS works to make sure that history is studied well and shared widely.

How the Society Started

The Royal Historical Society began in 1868. It received a special permission from the King or Queen, called a royal charter. This charter officially recognized the society. For a few years, until 1872, it was simply called the Historical Society.

In 1897, another group called the Camden Society joined with the RHS. The Camden Society had been around since 1838. For a long time, the RHS was mostly like a social club for gentlemen. But in the mid-1900s, it started to play a bigger role. It began to represent historians and the study of history more actively.

What the Society Does Today

The RHS works to encourage historical research in the UK and around the world. It supports all kinds of historians. The society does many things to help historians.

• It speaks up for historians and studies how history is taught.
• It offers training and support, especially for new historians.
• It publishes historical works.
• It gives out grants and money to help with research.
• It also gives awards and special recognition to historians.

The RHS holds many talks and conferences. These events cover different history topics. They usually happen in London. Since 1967, the society has been based at University College London.

How the Society is Run

The Royal Historical Society is managed by a group of trustees. This group is called the council. The President of the RHS leads the council. The President and other council members are chosen from the society's fellows.

There are 22 council members. Each member serves for four years. Every year, the fellows vote for three new council members. These members come from many different backgrounds. They also have various research interests in history.

Who Can Join the Society

The society has different types of members. These include honorary vice-presidents, elected fellows, associate fellows, and regular members.

• Fellows are historians who have made a big contribution to history. This usually means they have written a book or a lot of scholarly work. It can also include organizing exhibitions or editing history journals. To become a fellow, someone who is already a fellow must support your application. The RHS keeps an online list of all its current fellows and members.

Awards and Prizes

The Royal Historical Society gives out several important prizes and awards. These recognize excellent work in history.

• Gladstone Book Prize
• Whitfield Book Prize
• The Alexander Prize

Only two historians have won both the Whitfield Prize and the Alexander Prize:

• A. G. Rosser won the Alexander Prize in 1983 and the Whitfield Prize in 1989.
• Ryan Hanley won the Alexander Prize in 2015 and the Whitfield Prize in 2019.

Leaders of the Society

Here is a list of the people who have served as President of the Royal Historical Society:

See also