Royal Exchange, London

The Royal Exchange

The west façade of the Royal Exchange from the Bank junction
Location	London, United Kingdom
Coordinates	51°30′49″N 0°05′14″W / 51.51361°N 0.08722°W / 51.51361; -0.08722
Opening date	23 January 1571; 453 years ago (1571-01-23) (original structure) 28 October 1844; 179 years ago (1844-10-28) (current structure)
Owner	The Ardent Companies (since 2022)
Architect	Sir William Tite
No. of stores and services	33 stores; 5 restaurants and cafes
Parking	None
Public transit access	Bank-Monument
Website	theroyalexchange.co.uk

The Royal Exchange in London was founded in the 16th century by the merchant Sir Thomas Gresham on the suggestion of his factor Richard Clough to act as a centre of commerce for the City of London.^[1] The site was provided by the City of London Corporation and the Worshipful Company of Mercers, who still jointly own the freehold. The original foundation was ceremonially opened by Queen Elizabeth I who granted it its "royal" title. The current neoclassical building has a trapezoidal floor plan and is flanked by Cornhill and Threadneedle Street, which converge at Bank junction in the heart of the city. It lies in the Ward of Cornhill.

The exchange building has twice been destroyed by fire and subsequently rebuilt. The present building was designed by Sir William Tite in the 1840s. The site was notably occupied by the Lloyd's insurance market for nearly 150 years. Today, the Royal Exchange contains restaurants and luxury shops.

Traditionally, the steps of the Royal Exchange are the place where certain royal proclamations (such as the dissolution of parliament) are read out by either a herald or a crier. Following the death or abdication of a monarch and the confirmation of the next monarch's accession to the throne by the Accession Council, the Royal Exchange Building is one of the locations where a herald proclaims the new monarch's reign to the public.