Its aims are to support education for the benefit of productive industry and full details of all its awards are on the website. The Royal Commission was established in 1850 under the chairmanship of Prince Albert, to organise and stage the Great Exhibition. Held in the spectacular Crystal Palace, constructed in Hyde Park, it was the first ever World Fair, and the most successful. With over 6 milli
on visitors, it also made a substantial profit. Consolidated by Supplemental Charter, the Royal Commission set out "to increase the means of industrial education and extend the influence of science and art upon productive industry". To this end it purchased 87 acres of land in South Kensington and helped establish its three great museums, the Royal Albert Hall and renowned institutions of learning, including Imperial College and the Royal Colleges of Art and Music. When this huge undertaking was complete, there remained sufficient funds for the Royal Commission to set up, in 1891, an educational trust to perpetuate its aims. It supports pure research in science and engineering, applied research in industry, industrial design and other projects. The 1851 Royal Commission continues this work to this day, both managing its freehold estate and awarding £2m a year in research fellowships, design studentships and other grants. The Commission's aim is to 'make a difference' and its achievement is evident, with 13 Nobel Prize winners and over 150 Fellows of the Royal Society among its previous award winners.
