page_title: Imperial College London
section_title: 19th century
hierarchical_section_title: Imperial College London / History / 19th century
caption_attribution_description: THE QUEEN-EMPRESS OPENING THE IMPERIAL INSTITUTE, LONDON (1893). This stately pageant, in which the Sovereign was the leading figure, in which the representatives of all parts of the British Empire took part, and of which the great capital of the Empire was the scene, finds a filling place among the illustrations of the outward acts of government of the Empire.' In the background stands the Imperial Institute, built to a large extent by ihe liberality of the Queen's subjects in the Colonies and India. At the entrance may be seen the carriage of Her Majesty, who has just arrived, escorted by a brilliant troop of horsemen, the elite of the Imperial Cavalry, and including representatives of the Cavalry of India, and of the Light Horsemen of Canada, of Australia, and of South Africa. In the foreground are the guards of honour furnished by the Royal Navy and the Foot-Guards, the Colours dipped low in the presence of the Sovereign.
context_page_description: Imperial College London is a public research university in London. Dating back to the Royal College of Chemistry's foundation in 1845, Imperial grew out of Prince Albert's vision of an area for culture, including the Royal Albert Hall, Imperial Institute, numerous museums, and the Royal Colleges that would go on to form the college. In 1907, Imperial College was established by Royal Charter, merging the Royal College of Science, Royal School of Mines, and City and Guilds College. In 1988, the Imperial College School of Medicine was formed by combining with St Mary's Hospital Medical School. In 2004, Queen Elizabeth II opened the Imperial College Business School.
  The college focuses exclusively on science, technology, medicine and business. The college's main campus is located in South Kensington, and it has an innovation campus in White City, a research field station at Silwood Park, and teaching hospitals throughout London. The college was a member of the University of London from 1908, becoming independent on its centenary in 2007. Imperial has an international community, with more than 59% of students from outside the UK and 140 countries represented on campus.
context_section_description: The earliest college that led to the formation of Imperial was the Royal College of Chemistry, founded in 1845, with the support of Prince Albert and parliament.  This was merged in 1853 into what became known as the Royal School of Mines. The medical school has roots in many different schools across London, the oldest of which being Charing Cross Hospital Medical School which can be traced back to 1823, followed by teaching starting at Westminster Hospital in 1834, and St Mary's Hospital in 1851.
  In 1851, the Great Exhibition was organised as an exhibition of culture and industry by Henry Cole and by Prince Albert, husband of the reigning monarch of the United Kingdom, Queen Victoria.  An enormously popular and financial success, proceeds from the Great Exhibition were designated to develop an area for cultural and scientific advancement in South Kensington. Within the next 6 years the Victoria and Albert Museum and Science Museum had opened, joined by new facilities in 1871 for the Royal College of Chemistry and in 1881 for the Royal School of Mines, the opening of the Natural History Museum in 1881, and in 1888 the Imperial Institute.
  In 1881, the Normal School of Science was established in South Kensington under the leadership of Thomas Huxley, taking over responsibility for the teaching of the natural sciences and agriculture from the Royal School of Mines. The school was renamed the Royal College of Science by royal consent in 1890. The Central Institution of the City and Guilds of London Institute, was opened as a technical education school on Exhibition Road by the Prince of Wales in early 1885.
caption: The Imperial Institute
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