The History of the RCS

Friday June 26, 1868: On this day, 140 years ago, at a meeting in the Willis Rooms, King Street, St. James's, it was agreed that a Society with a London headquarters should be formed. In the words of elected Chair, Viscount Bury, the intention was "to provide a meeting place for gentlemen interested in colonial and Indian affairs; to establish a reading room and a library, in which recent and authentic intelligence upon colonial subjects may be constantly available, and a museum for the collection and exhibition of colonial productions; to afford opportunities for reading papers, and for holding discussions upon colonial subjects generally". The Colonial Society's first home was "a pokey hole" above a shirt shop at No. 15 The Strand where it remained from 1870 until 1885. It was in this same modest space that the organisation's library collection first began to be assembled.

While the initial premises could house the beginnings of the library, it was felt that they would not be able to satisfy the Society's original objective of acting as a 'meeting place'. So, in 1883, a lease was obtained for land in Northumberland Avenue, and a clubhouse built and formally opened in 1885. By this time, the Society had already received its first Charter, which led to it becoming the Royal Colonial Society (in June 1869), and, in 1870, the Royal Colonial Institute.

The Clubhouse was expanded in two further stages: early in the 20th Century to provide further accommodation, and, again, following the First World War, to provide halls for meetings, a dining area for members and a number of bedrooms. Building of the second phase began in 1934 in accordance with the design of Sir Herbert Baker and A. T. Scott, with the first stone laid by King Edward VIII. The expanded and renovated premises on Northumberland Avenue were formally opened on November 12, 1936 by The Duke and Duchess of York, later to become King George VI and Queen Elizabeth. At the opening, the Duke read a message saying that he had been "asked by His Majesty to hand to your Chairman a cheque for £100 as a donation towards the cost of the clock for the entrance hall of your new building." Though no longer in its original location, the magnificent Empire clock today remains in a prominent position in the Club.

By this time, the organisation had already begun to take shape as a forward-thinking Society, allowing women to be admitted as Fellows from 1922 and encouraging a young and diverse membership.

Due to its central location close to Whitehall and Charing Cross Station, the Club premises were vulnerable during the bombing raids of World War II. On the night of April 16/17, 1941 the building was hit by a two-ton high-explosive bomb and on the night of May 10 it was severely damaged again. After several weeks of repairs, carried out in order to make some rooms habitable, the Club reopened to members. However, a complete restoration was not completed until 1957, after which time the nose of the bomb was displayed prominently in the Club. This same year, a new name for the organisation was suggested and in May 1958 what had become the Royal Empire Society took its present title of the Royal Commonwealth Society.

After a period of mounting financial difficulties, the RCS was set on the road to recovery in the 1990s. A successful national appeal in 1993 raised £3million to save the RCS archive and, by this stage extensive, library collections. The material was sold to Cambridge University, enabling the RCS to clear its debts, to redevelop its property and to create a new clubhouse, the Commonwealth Club. This was opened, after extensive building work, in 1998.

The new Club, as designed by Linda Morey Smith, was bright, modern and stylish. It provided an informal and exciting place for its members to meet, socialise, eat and network. It became a magnet for influential figures from politics, diplomacy, the media and arts, and a platform for debates, seminars and conferences on topical Commonwealth and international issues. It also became a venue for Commonwealth cultural events and for wide-ranging art exhibitions.

The Society developed a vigorous programme of outreach projects aimed at promoting the Commonwealth, its ideas and values, particularly in schools and to young people. It now stood at the heart of an extensive international network of more than 10,000 members, spread across 100 countries and territories and linked by around 70 self-governing RCS branches and Commonwealth societies in 43 countries and territories.

So productive was this new direction that the RCS decided to build upon its success. In 2006, it extended its Club facilities into three floors of the neighbouring property at 25, Northumberland Avenue. An airy restaurant offering award-winning international and Commonwealth cuisine, as well as an extensive selection of fine wines, is overlooked by a suspended glass dining room. A new, impressive entrance, a 250 seat auditorium, first-class business facilities, a member's lounge and bar, increased exhibition space, an internet café, and much more, bring the modern headquarters a long way from its beginnings as "a pokey hole" above a shirt shop in The Strand.

Yet, for the Society, the new building is more than a prestigious location, in the heart of London. It is a centre for the Commonwealth, a focus for the Society's strengthened international links and global network. It is the natural meeting place for the capital's multicultural citizens, a place people can come to exchange ideas, news and to build and maintain links. It hosts lively debates, artistic and cultural events, conferences and book launches and it produces a range of cutting-edge publications and research.

The Society's outreach programmes are gathering momentum and expanding their reach. Work in schools and with a broad spectrum of young people is opening the values of the Commonwealth to a new generation. The fundamental principles and messages of the modern Commonwealth - tolerance, diversity, freedom, justice, democracy, human rights and sustainable development – have never been more relevant to young people living in an increasingly interconnected world. RCS projects encourage young people to engage with their counterparts across the Commonwealth in exchanges and young volunteer programmes, in creative writing and media communications. By encouraging young people to become aware of their role as global citizens, the Society helps to give enduring strength to a reinvigorated and relevant modern Commonwealth.