The Royal Medal, also known as The Queen's Medal and The King's Medal (depending on the gender of the monarch at the time of the award), is a silver-gilt medal, of which three are awarded each year by the British Royal Society. Two are given for "the most important contributions to the advancement of natural knowledge," and one for "distinguished contributions in the applied sciences", all of which are done within the Commonwealth of Nations.
Background The award was created by George IV and awarded first during 1826. Initially there were two medals awarded, both for the most important discovery within the year previous, a time period which was lengthened to five years and then shortened to three. The format was endorsed by William IV and Victoria, who had the conditions changed during 1837 so that mathematics was a subject for which a Royal Medal could be awarded, albeit only every third year. The conditions were changed again during 1850 so that: ... the Royal Medals in each year should be awarded for the two most important contributions to the advancement of Natural Knowledge, published originally in Her Majesty's dominions within a period of not more than ten years and not less than one year of the date of the award, subject, of course, to Her Majesty's approval. ... in the award of the Royal Medals, one should be given in each of the two great divisions of Natural Knowledge.
During 1965, the system was changed to its current format, in which three medals are awarded annually by the monarch on the recommendation of the Royal Society Council. Because of its dual nature (for both physical and biological science) the award winners are chosen by both the A- and B-side Award Committees. Since its establishment during 1826 the medal has been awarded 405 times.
Recent winners
Full list of recipients YearNameFieldRationale1826 Mathematics "For his Paper on Astronomical Refractions, published in the Philosophical Transactions for the year 1823; and his other valuable Papers on Mathematical Subjects." Physics "For his development of the Atomic Theory and his other important labours and discoveries in Physical Science."1827 Astronomy "For his Work, entitled, Catalogus Novus Stellarum Duplicium." Physics "For his Bakerian Lecture, On the Relations of Electrical Changes, considered as the last link, in the order of time, of the splendid chain of Discoveries in Chemical Electricity, which has been continued for so many years of his valuable life."1828 Astronomy "For his Accurate Determination of the Orbit of a Comet of short period, as confirmed by observation." Chemistry "For his communication, entitled, On a method of rendering Platina malleable, being the conclusion of a series of researches on the properties of the Metallic Bodies contained in the Ores of Platina."1829 Anatomy "For his Discoveries relating to the Nervous System." Chemistry "For his Discoveries relating to the Laws of Crystallization, and the Properties of Crystals."1830 Chemistry "For his Discovery of Brome." Physics "For his Communications to the Royal Society on the Polarization and other Properties of Light."1831 No award 1832 No award 1833 Botany "For his Researches and Investigations in Vegetable Physiology, as detailed in his Work, entitled, Physiologie Vegetale." Astronomy "For his Paper "on the Investigation of the Orbits of Revolving Double Stars," inserted in the Fifth Volume of the Memoirs of the Royal Astronomical Society."1834 Geology "For his Work, entitled, Principles of Geology." Physics "For his Papers on the Tides published in the Philosophical Transactions."1835 Chemistry "For his investigations and discoveries contained in the series of experimental researches in electricity published in the Philosophical Transactions, and more particularly for the seventh series, relating to the definite nature of electrochemical action." Physics "For the papers published by him in the 16th and 17th volumes of the Transactions of the Royal Irish Academy, entitled Supplement to an Essay on the Theory of Systems of Rays, and more particularly for those investigations at the conclusion of the third and last supplement, which relate to the discovery of conic refraction."1836 Anatomy "For his series of investigations on the anatomy and physiology of insects, contained in his two papers published in the Philosophical Transactions within the last three years." Astronomy "For his paper on nebulae and clusters of stars, published in the Philosophical Transactions for 1833."1837 Physics "For his researches connected with the theory of the tides, communicated to the Royal Society and published in its Transactions within the last three years." 1838 Mathematics "For his papers entitled Researches in the Integral Calculus, published in the Philosophical Transactions for 1836 and 1837." Chemistry "For his paper entitled "Inquiries respecting the Constitution of salts, of oxalates, nitrates, phosphates, sulphates and chlorides," published in the Philosophical Transactions for 1836."1839 Mathematics "For his paper on the theory of the astronomical refractions published in the Philosophical Transactions for 1838. Part II." Embryology "For his papers on embryology, published in the Philosophical Transactions for 1838 and 1839."1840 Physiology "For his paper entitled Contributions to the physiology of vision, published in the Philosophical Transactions for 1838." Astronomy "For his paper entitled On the chemical action of the rays of the solar spectrum on preparations of silver, and other substances, both metallic and non-metallic, and on some photogenic processes, published in the Philosophical Transactions for 1840."1841 Engineering "For his paper entitled Experimental researches on the strength of pillars of cast iron, published in the Philosophical Transactions for 1840." Chemistry "For his memoir entitled the Chemical History of archil and litmus, published in the Philosophical Transactions for the year 1840."1842 Chemistry "For his letters on the electrolysis of secondary compounds and on voltaic combinations published in the Transactions for 1840 and 1842." Anatomy "For his paper on the structure and use of the Malpighian bodies of the kidney, with observations on the circulation through that gland, published in the Philosophical Transactions of the present year."1843 Physics "For his paper entitled, an account of several new instruments and processes for determining the constants of a voltaic circuit, printed in the Philosophical Transactions for the present year." Physics "For his researches on the law of extinction of the solar rays in passing through the atmosphere, contained in a paper published in the Philosophical Transactions for 1842."1844 Mathematics "For his paper on a general method in analysis, published in the Philosophical Transactions of the present year." Chemistry "For his paper on the thermal changes accompanying basic substitutions, published in the Philosophical Transactions of the present year."1845 Astronomy "For his paper on the laws of the tides on the coast of Ireland, as inferred from an extensive series of observations made in connection with the Ordnance Survey of Ireland, published in the Philosophical Transactions for the present year." Medicine "For his paper entitled On the nerves of the uterus, which has been ordered for publication in the Philosophical Transactions."1846 Physics "For his experimental researches in electricity, twentieth and twenty first series, on new magnetic actions, and on the magnetic conditions of all matter, inserted in the Philosophical Transactions part I. for 1845." Biology "For his paper entitled A description of certain Belemnites preserved with a great proportion of their soft parts in the Oxford clay at Christian-Malford, Wilts, published in the Philosophical Transactions for 1844."1847 Chemistry "For his papers published in the Philosophical Transactions for 1845, on the artificial formation of a vegeto-alkali, and on benzoline, published in the same volume of the Transactions" Physics "For his papers published in the Philosophical Transactions for 1845 and 1847, on the gas voltaic battery, and on certain phenomena of voltaic ignition"1848 Mathematics "For his paper on the solution of linear differential equations, published in the Philosophical Transactions for 1848. Mathematics "For his paper on the proper motion of the Solar System, published in the Philosophical Transactions for 1847"1849 Astronomy "For his contributions to terrestrial magnetism, published in the Philosophical Transactions parts VII and VIII, and his memoir on the diurnal variation of the magnetic declination at Saint Helena, part I." Geology "For his paper on the Iguanodon, published in the Philosophical Transactions for the year 1848, being a continuation of a series of papers by him on the same fossil reptile, by which he has rendered eminent services to geology."1850 Chemistry "For his investigations on the chemical nature of wax, published in the Philosophical Transactions for 1848 and 1849." Chemistry "For his paper on the motion of gases, published in the Philosophical Transactions for 1849."1851 Astronomy "For his observations on the nebulae published in the Philosophical Transactions for the year 1850." Entomology "For his paper on the impregnation of the ovum in the amphibia (first series), published in the Philosophical Transactions for 1851."1852 Physics "For his paper on the mechanical equivalent of heat, printed in the Philosophical Transactions for 1850." Biology "For his papers on the anatomy and the affinities of the family of the Medusae, printed in the Philosophical Transactions."1853 Natural history "For his work entitled Geological Observations on Coral Reefs, Volcanic Islands, and on South America, and his work, Fossil Circhipeda of Great Britain, Section Lepadidae, Monograph of the Circhipeda."