List of place names with royal patronage in the United Kingdom


The following list of place names with royal patronage in the United Kingdom includes both those granted a royal title or status by express wish of a specific monarch, and those with prefixes or suffixes such as "King's" or "Regis" that relate to historic ownership of the area by the Crown.

England

Royal

The following places have been explicitly granted or confirmed the use of the title "royal" by royal charter, letters patent or similar instrument issued by the monarch. Since 1926 the entitlement to the title "royal borough" has been strictly enforced. Devizes in Wiltshire, which had previously used the title without authorisation, was forced to end the practice.
LocationTypeLocal governmentChartersCharter lapsedNotes
BerkshireRoyal countyCounty council
6 unitary authorities 		1957, 1974Location of Windsor Castle
GreenwichRoyal boroughLondon borough council2012To mark the Diamond Jubilee of Elizabeth II. Location of the erstwhile Palace of Placentia, birthplace of Henry VIII, Mary I and Elizabeth I
KensingtonRoyal boroughMetropolitan borough council19011965In memory of Queen Victoria, born at Kensington Palace
Kensington and ChelseaRoyal boroughLondon borough council1965Transferred from Kensington
Kingston upon ThamesRoyal boroughMunicipal borough council in SurreyAncient prescriptive right, confirmed in 19271965Coronation place of King Æthelstan in 924–925. Æthelstan described Kingston as royal town in a charter, as did Eadred later in the 10th century. In 1927 the mayor of Kingston upon Thames petitioned George V for the right to use the title of "royal borough". In reply to the petition the king declared that Kingston was entitled to the status, having been described as a royal borough since time immemorial.
Kingston upon ThamesRoyal boroughLondon borough council1965Transferred from municipal borough
Leamington Spa"Royal" prefixCivil parish with town council1838, 1974, 2002Spa town established in late 18th century. The town received the title of "Royal Leamington Spa" in 1838 following a visit by Queen Victoria. Royal Leamington Spa was incorporated as a municipal borough in 1875, and on the borough's abolition in 1974 charter trustees were formed. The charter trustees were themselves abolished when a town council was formed in 2002.
The Royal Town of Sutton ColdfieldRoyal townHistoric town, now a civil parish within the City of Birmingham.1528Honour bestowed by Henry VIII
Tunbridge Wells"Royal" prefixUnparished area1909, 1974Spa town, incorporated as a municipal borough in 1888. In 1909 Edward VII allowed the prefix "Royal" in recognition of the town's connections with the royal family since the Stuart dynasty. The Borough of Royal Tunbridge Wells was abolished in April 1974, and charter trustees were briefly appointed to preserve the mayoralty of the town. The trustees, who were themselves abolished in December 1974, obtained letters patent reauthorising the prefix "Royal" to the name of the town.
Windsor, also known as New WindsorRoyal boroughMunicipal borough councilFrom reign of Henry I in early 12th century1974Location of Windsor Castle
Windsor and MaidenheadRoyal boroughNon-metropolitan district council
Unitary authority 		1974Transferred from Borough of Windsor
Wootton Bassett"Royal" prefixCivil parish with a town council2011Repatriation of military personnel

Former

Regis, Latin for "of the king", occurs in numerous placenames. This usually recalls the historical ownership of lands or manors by the Crown. The "Regis" form was often used in the past as an alternative form to "King's", for instance at King's Bromley and King's Lynn.
Examples include Houghton Regis in Bedfordshire, Salcombe Regis in Devon, Bere Regis, Melcombe Regis and Lyme Regis in Dorset, Milton Regis in Kent, Beeston Regis in Norfolk, Grafton Regis in Northamptonshire, Brompton Regis in Somerset, Newton Regis in Warwickshire and Rowley Regis in the West Midlands.
There is one modern example of the granting of the suffix "regis". In 1929, George V, having spent several months recuperating from a serious illness in the seaside resort of Bognor, West Sussex, allowed it to be renamed as "Bognor Regis".

King's

King and Rìgh

Kingsburgh, Skye is a corruption of Cinnseaborgh, which is in turn a corruption of a Norse name.
In many places "Kin" is a suffix meaning "head", an anglicisation of Ceann: Kinghorn and Kingussie, for example, are nothing to do with royal patronage.

Regis

In Scotland a royal burgh was a burgh or incorporated town founded by, or subsequently granted, a royal charter. By 1707, when the Act of Union with England and Wales came into effect, there were 70 royal burghs. None were created after 1707, and they were formally abolished in 1975. Notwithstanding their abolition, the term is still used in many of the former burghs.

Wales

Royal