Election of his Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh, K.G

Abstract

His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh, K.G., was balloted for and elected a Fellow of the Royal Society at the Ordinary Meeting held on 3 May 1951. His Royal Highness was thereupon conducted by the President into the Meeting Room, where he signed the Charter Book and was admitted into the Society. The President then welcomed His Royal Highness into the Fellowship in the following words : 'Your Royal Highness— 'The Fellows have shown how much they appreciate your visit this afternoon and how proud they are to count you among their number. Naturally the Society has always been proud of its association with the Royal House and of its foundation, nearly 300 years ago, by the famous monarch whose portrait hangs above the President’s Chair. ‘ King Charles II gave us our Charter, our coat of arms and our mace but it is not only for these personal favours that we are grateful. In founding the Royal Society he encouraged the whole development of science in this country with all the great consequences that have come to our national life. W e are grateful to him for that and to all the members of the Royal House who have continued his support of science. ‘ To mark this occasion I beg your Royal Highhess to accept a copy of our Charter Book. It contains in facsimile the signatures of the Fellows —Royal and ordinary—from 1660 to the present day. W e are delighted to think that the next edition will contain a copy of the signature which you have just given us.’ His Royal Highness was graciously pleased to accept an inscribed copy of the Charter Book.