Editing Regius Professor

{{short description|University professor with royal patronage or appointment in UK and Ireland}}
{{More citations needed|date=December 2012}}
[[File:Warwick Regius Professor of Mathematics royal warrant.jpg|thumb|Royal warrant creating a Regius Chair in Mathematics at the University of Warwick (2013)]]

A '''Regius Professor''' is a [[university]] [[Professor (highest academic rank)|professor]] who has, or originally had, [[Monarchy of the United Kingdom|royal]] patronage or appointment. They are a unique feature of [[academia]] in the [[United Kingdom]] and [[Republic of Ireland|Ireland]]. The [[Regius Professor of Medicine (Aberdeen)|first Regius Professorship]] was in the field of medicine, and founded by the Scottish King [[James IV of Scotland|James IV]] at the [[University of Aberdeen]] in 1497. Regius chairs have since been instituted in various universities, in disciplines judged to be fundamental and for which there is a continuing and significant need. Each was established by an English, Scottish, or British monarch, and following proper advertisement and interview through the offices of the university and the national government, the current monarch still appoints the professor (except for those at [[Trinity College Dublin]] in Ireland, which left the United Kingdom in 1922). This royal imprimatur, and the relative rarity of these professorships, means a Regius chair is prestigious and highly sought-after.

Regius Professors are traditionally addressed as "Regius" and not "Professor".<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://websitesasksam.com/scripts/as_web7.exe?Command=DocName&File=Osleriana&Name=LoSWO%20Chapter%2023 |title=Cushing, Harvey (1940). The Life of Sir William Osler (volume 1, chapter 23). Oxford: Oxford University Press |access-date=5 September 2015}}</ref> The [[University of Glasgow]] currently has the highest number of extant Regius chairs, at fourteen.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.gla.ac.uk/news/headline_242317_en.html |title=Regius Professor of Law Appointed to the University of Glasgow  |publisher=University of Glasgow |date=1 October 2012 |access-date=3 April 2013}}</ref>

Traditionally, Regius Chairs only existed in the seven [[ancient university|ancient universities]] of the UK and Ireland.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Evans |first1=Richard J. |author1-link=Richard J. Evans |title=On her Majesty's scholarly service |url=https://www.timeshighereducation.com/features/on-her-majestys-scholarly-service/2001293.article |website=[[Times Higher Education]] |access-date=2 November 2023 |date=7 February 2013}}</ref> In October 2012 it was announced that Queen [[Elizabeth II]] would create up to six new Regius Professorships, to be announced in early 2013, to mark her Diamond Jubilee.<ref>{{Cite press release |title=Queen to bestow new Regius Professorships on outstanding Universities |date=12 October 2012 |publisher=[[Cabinet Office]] |url=http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/news/regius-professorships-universities |access-date=3 April 2013}}</ref> In January 2013 the full list was announced, comprising twelve new chairs, probably the largest number ever created in one year, and more than created in most centuries.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/news/new-regius-professorships-announced-for-12-universities/2001152.article |title=New Regius Professorships announced for 12 universities |magazine=[[Times Higher Education|Times Higher Education Supplement]] |date=29 January 2013 |access-date=3 April 2013}}</ref><ref>{{Cite press release |title=Cabinet Office: The Queen awards prestigious Regius professorships to twelve universities |date=29 January 2013 |publisher=PoliticsHome |url=http://www.politicshome.com/uk/article/70924/cabinet_office_the_queen_awards_prestigious_regius_professorships_to_twelve_universities.html |access-date=3 April 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140322001916/http://www.politicshome.com/uk/article/70924/cabinet_office_the_queen_awards_prestigious_regius_professorships_to_twelve_universities.html |archive-date=22 March 2014 }}</ref> In July 2015 it was announced that further Regius Professorships would be created to mark the Queen's 90th birthday.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Garner|first1=Richard|title=Budget 2015: Universities will be allowed to raise fees beyond £9,000, says George Osborne|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/budget-2015-universities-will-be-allowed-to-raise-fees-beyond-9000-says-george-osborne-10375910.html|access-date=5 August 2015|work=[[The Independent]]|date=8 July 2015}}</ref>

==University of Aberdeen==
{{See also|List of professorships at the University of Aberdeen}}

*[[Regius Professor of Anatomy (Aberdeen)|Regius Professor of Anatomy]] (1863)
*[[Regius Professor of Botany (Aberdeen)|Regius Professor of Botany]]
*[[Regius Professor of English Literature (Aberdeen)|Regius Professor of English Literature]] (1894)
*[[Regius Professor of Greek (Aberdeen)|Regius Professor of Greek]]
*[[Regius Professor of Humanity (Aberdeen)|Regius Professor of Humanity]], formerly Regius Professor of [[Classics]]
*[[Regius Professor of Logic]]
*[[Regius Professor of Mathematics (Aberdeen)|Regius Professor of Mathematics]] (1703)
*[[Regius Professor of Medicine (Aberdeen)|Regius Professor of Medicine]], formerly Regius Professor of Materia Medica (1858)<ref name="comrie">{{cite book|last=Comrie|first=John D|title=History of Scottish Medicine to 1860|chapter=Chapter 9: The Medical School of Aberdeen|date=1927|publisher=Wellcome Historical Medical Museum|location=London|url=http://www.electricscotland.com/history/medical/medicine9.pdf}}</ref>{{rp|159}}
*[[Regius Professor of Moral Philosophy]]
*[[Regius Professor of Natural History (Aberdeen)|Regius Professor of Natural History]]
*[[Regius Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology (Aberdeen)|Regius Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology]], formerly Regius Professor of [[Midwifery]] (1858)<ref name="comrie"/>{{rp|159}}
*[[Regius Professor of Pathology]]
*[[Regius Professor of Physiology (Aberdeen)|Regius Professor of Physiology]] (1858)<ref name="comrie"/>{{rp|159}}
*[[Regius Professor of Surgery (Aberdeen)|Regius Professor of Surgery]] (1839)<ref name=bulloch>{{cite book|last=Bulloch|first=John|title=A History of the University of Aberdeen 1495-1895|date=1895|publisher=Hodder and Stoughton|location=London|url=https://archive.org/details/historyofunivers00bulluoft}}</ref>{{rp|189}}

== Aston University ==
*[[Regius Professor of Pharmacy]]<ref name="Aston University appoints UK’s only Regius Professor of Pharmacy">{{cite web |title=Aston University appoints UK’s only Regius Professor of Pharmacy |url=https://www.aston.ac.uk/latest-news/aston-university-appoints-uks-only-regius-professor-pharmacy |website=Aston University |publisher=Aston University |access-date=16 March 2024}}</ref>

== Cardiff University ==
*Regius Professor of Chemistry (2016)<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/regius-professorships-awarded-to-leading-universities-to-mark-queens-90th-birthday|title=Regius Professorships awarded to leading universities to mark Queen's 90th birthday - Press releases - GOV.UK|website=www.gov.uk|access-date=2016-06-06}}</ref>

==University of Cambridge==
{{See also|List of professorships at the University of Cambridge}}

*[[Regius Professor of Botany (Cambridge)|Regius Professor of Botany]] (1724/2009)
*[[Regius Professor of Civil Law (Cambridge)|Regius Professor of Civil Law]] (1540)
*[[Regius Professor of Divinity]] (1540)
*[[Regius Professor of Engineering (Cambridge)|Regius Professor of Engineering]] (2011)
*[[Regius Professor of Greek (Cambridge)|Regius Professor of Greek]] (1540)
*[[Regius Professor of Hebrew (Cambridge)|Regius Professor of Hebrew]] (1540)
*[[Regius Professor of History (Cambridge)|Regius Professor of History]] (1724)
*[[Regius Professor of Physic (Cambridge)|Regius Professor of Physic]] (1540)

==Trinity College Dublin==
{{See also|list of professorships at the University of Dublin}}
*[[Regius Professor of Divinity#Professors at Dublin|Regius Professor of Divinity]] (1600/1761)
*[[Regius Professor of Physic (Dublin)|Regius Professor of Physic]] (1637?)
*[[Erasmus Smith's Professor of Hebrew|Regius Professor of Hebrew]] (1637/1762/1855)
*[[Regius Professor of Laws (Dublin)|Regius Professor of Laws]] (1668)
*[[Regius Professor of Laws (Dublin)#List of Regius Professors of Feudal and English Law (1761–1934)|Regius Professor of Feudal and English Law]] (1761–1934)
*[[Regius Professor of Greek (Dublin)|Regius Professor of Greek]] (1761)
*[[Regius Professor of Surgery (Dublin)|Regius Professor of Surgery]] (1852/1868)

==University of Dundee==

*[[Regius Professor of Life Sciences]] (2013)

==University of Edinburgh==
{{See also|list of Professorships at the University of Edinburgh}}

*[[Regius Chair of Public Law and the Law of Nature and Nations|Regius Professor of Public Law and the Law of Nature and Nations]] (1707)
*[[Regius Chair of Rhetoric and English Literature|Regius Professor of Rhetoric and English Literature]] (1762)
*[[Regius Professor of Astronomy (Edinburgh)|Regius Professor of Astronomy]] (1785)
*[[Regius Chair of Clinical Surgery|Regius Professor of Clinical Surgery]] (1803)
*[[Regius Professor of Medical Science]]<ref>{{cite web|title=Prof J Iredale|url=http://www.research.ed.ac.uk/portal/en/persons/john-iredale%289c8dc16b-011e-4c14-b4ec-02912559e03b%29.html|publisher=University of Edinburgh|access-date=26 November 2014}}</ref> 
*[[Regius Professor of Forensic Medicine (Edinburgh)|Regius Professor of Forensic Medicine]] (1807)
*[[Regius Professor of South Asian Language, Culture and Society|Regius Professor of Sanskrit]] (1862) (now the Regius Professor of South Asian Language, Culture and Society)
*[[Regius Professor of Engineering (Edinburgh)|Regius Professor of Engineering]] (1868)
*[[Regius Professor of Geology]] (1871)
*[[Regius Chair of Plant Science]]<ref>{{cite web|title=Patronage of Chairs in Science and Engineering |url=http://www.docs.sasg.ed.ac.uk/GaSP/Governance/Governance/PatronageCSE-2020.pdf |publisher=University of Edinburgh|access-date=10 April 2021}}</ref>
The first [[Professor of Classics (Edinburgh)|Professor of Greek]] (1708) at Edinburgh, Wiliam Scott ''Primus'', was referred to with the honorific 'Regius Professor' but was, ultimately, unable to secure a grant from the Crown.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Stewart |first=M. A. |title=in Craik, E. M. (ed.), The Origins of the Scottish Greek Chairs' in Owls to Athens: Essays on Classical Subjects presented to Sir Kenneth Dover |publisher=OUP |year=1990 |location=Oxford |pages=395.}}</ref> However, both of the inaugural professors of Greek and Humanity at Edinburgh were appointed by Royal Warrant.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Emerson |first=Roger, L. |title=Academic Patronage in the Scottish Enlightenment |publisher=EUP |year=2008 |location=Edinburgh |pages=253-4.}}</ref>

==University of Essex==
*[[Regius Professor of Political Science]] (2013)

==University of Glasgow==
{{See also|list of Professorships at the University of Glasgow}}

*[[Regius Professor of Medicine and Therapeutics (Glasgow)|Regius Professor of Medicine and Therapeutics]] (1637/1713)
*[[Regius Professor of Materia Medica (Glasgow)|Regius Professor of Materia Medica]] (1831–1989) (merged with the Regius chair in Medicine and Therapeutics)
*[[Regius Professor of Law (Glasgow)|Regius Professor of Law]] (1713)
*[[Regius Professor of Anatomy (Glasgow)|Regius Professor of Anatomy]] (1718)
*[[Regius Professor of Astronomy (Glasgow)|Regius Professor of Astronomy]] (1760)
*[[Regius Professor of Zoology (Glasgow)|Regius Professor of Zoology]] (1807)
*[[Regius Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology (Glasgow)|Regius Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology]] (1815)
*[[Regius Professor of Surgery (Glasgow)|Regius Professor of Surgery]] (1815)
*[[Regius Professor of Chemistry (Glasgow)|Regius Professor of Chemistry]] (1817)
*[[Regius Professor of Botany (Glasgow)|Regius Professor of Botany]] (1818)
*[[Regius Professor of Forensic Medicine (Glasgow)|Regius Professor of Forensic Medicine]] (1839)
*[[Regius Professor of Physiology (Glasgow)|Regius Professor of Physiology]] (1839)
*[[Regius Professor of Civil Engineering and Mechanics]] (1840)
*[[Regius Professor of English Language and Literature (Glasgow)|Regius Professor of English Language and Literature]] (1861)
*[[Professor of Ecclesiastical History (Glasgow)|Regius Professor of Ecclesiastical History]] (1716–1935) (ceased being a Regius chair in 1935)
*[[Regius Professor of Precision Medicine]] (2016)<ref name=":0" />
*[[Regius Professor of Law (Glasgow)|Regius Professor of Law]] (2012)

[[File:Royal Warrant for the Regius Professor of Engineering, Imperial College London.jpg|thumb|upright|Regius Professor of Engineering at Imperial College London]]

==Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine==
*[[Regius Professor of Engineering (Imperial)|Regius Professor of Engineering]] (2013)<ref>{{cite news|url=http://felixonline.co.uk/articles/2013-10-24-imperial-names-first-regius-professor/.|title=Imperial names first Regius Professor|publisher=Felix|access-date=19 December 2019|date=24 Oct 2013}}</ref>
*[[Regius Professor of Infectious Disease]] (2016)<ref name=":0" />

== University of Liverpool ==
*[[Regius Professor of Chemistry (Chemistry)|Regius Professor of Chemistry]] (2016)<ref name=":0" />

== University of London ==
*[[Regius Professor of Cancer Research]] (2016)<ref name=":0" /> (Based at The [[Institute of Cancer Research]])
*[[Regius Professor of Psychiatry]] (2013) (Based at [[King's College London]])
*[[Regius Professor of Economics]] (2013) (Based at [[London School of Economics and Political Science|LSE]])
* [[Regius Professor of Music]] (2013) (Based at [[Royal Holloway, University of London|Royal Holloway]])

==University of Manchester==

*[[Regius Professor of Physics]] (2013)
*[[Regius Professor of Materials]] (2016)<ref name=":0" />

== Newcastle University ==
*[[Regius Professor of Ageing]] (2016)<ref name=":0" />

==Open University==

*[[Regius Professor of Open Education]] (2013)

==University of Oxford==
{{See also|list of professorships at the University of Oxford}}

*[[Regius Professor of Civil Law (Oxford)|Regius Professor of Civil Law]] (c.1540)
*[[Regius Professor of Divinity]] (1535)
*[[Regius Professor of Moral and Pastoral Theology]] (1842)
*[[Regius Professor of Ecclesiastical History]] (1842)
*[[Regius Professor of Hebrew (Oxford)|Regius Professor of Hebrew]] (1546)
*[[Regius Professor of Medicine (Oxford)|Regius Professor of Medicine]] (1546)
*[[Regius Professor of Greek (Oxford)|Regius Professor of Greek]] (c.1541)
*[[Regius Professor of History (Oxford)|Regius Professor of History]] (1724)
*[[Regius Professor of Mathematics]] (2016)<ref name=":0" />

== Queen's University Belfast ==
*[[Regius Professor of Electronics and Computer Engineering|Regius Professor of Electronics & Computer Engineering]] (2016)<ref name=":0" />

==University of Reading==

*[[Keith Shine|Regius Professor of Meteorology and Climate Science]] (2013)

==University of St Andrews==

*[[Regius Professor of Mathematics]] (1668)

==University of Southampton==

*[[Regius Professor of Computer Science]] (2013)
*[[Regius Professorship in Ocean Sciences]] (2016)<ref name=":0" />

==University of Surrey==

*[[Regius Professor of Electronic Engineering]] (2013)

==University of Warwick==

* [[Regius Professor of Mathematics]] (2013)
*[[Regius Professor of Manufacturing]] (2016)<ref name=":0" />

==References==

{{reflist|30em}}

[[Category:Regius Professorships| ]]
[[Category:1497 establishments in England]]
[[Category:1497 establishments in Scotland]]