View source for List of presidents of the Royal Society

{{Short description|None}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2023}}

{{Infobox official post
| post                    = President
| body                    =the Royal Society
| native_name             = 
| insignia                = Coat of arms of the Royal Society.svg
| insigniasize            = 
| insigniacaption         = The arms of the Royal Society
| flag                    = 
| image                   = File:Adrian-smith1.jpg
| imagesize               = 220px
| alt                     = Sir Adrian Smith
| imagecaption            = Sir Adrian Smith, the incumbent president
| incumbent               = [[Adrian Smith (statistician)|Adrian Smith]]
| acting                  = 
| incumbentsince          = 30 November 2020
| department              = [[Royal Society]]
| style                   =President, Sir/Madam, or Mr/Madam President
| type                    = Head of the Society
| status                  =
| abbreviation            = PRS
| member_of               = The Royal Society Council
| seat                    = [[Carlton House Terrace]], London
| nominator               = Royal Society Council
| appointer               = Royal Society Fellows
| termlength              = 5 years
| constituting_instrument = [[Royal Charter|Royal Charters of the Royal Society]]
| inaugural               = [[Viscount Brouncker]]
| formation               = 1662
| first                   = [[Viscount Brouncker]]
| deputy                  =
| salary                  =Honorary role and not applicable
| website                 = {{url|https://royalsociety.org}}
}}
The '''president of the Royal Society''' ('''PRS'''), also known as the Royal Society of London, is the elected Head of the [[Royal Society]] who presides over meetings of the society's council.

After an informal meeting (a lecture) by [[Christopher Wren]] at [[Gresham College]], the Royal Society was officially founded on 28 November 1660 when a group of academics decided to found "a College for the Promoting of Mathematical Experimental Learning".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://royalsociety.org/about-us/history/|title=History of the Royal Society}}</ref> King Charles II granted the society a [[Royal Charter]] on 15 July 1662, formally establishing it as the "Royal Society of London."<ref>{{cite web |url= http://royalsociety.org/about-us/history/royal-charters/|title= Royal Charters|author= The Royal Society|access-date=14 March 2012}}</ref> The Royal Charter nominated [[William Brouncker, 2nd Viscount Brouncker|William Brouncker]] as president and stipulated that future presidents should be elected by the Council and Fellows of the Society at anniversary meetings each year on [[St. Andrew's Day]] (30 November).

The details of the presidency were described by the second Royal Charter in 1663, which did not set any limit on how long a president could serve. There were considerable fluctuations in the president's term of office until well into the 19th century. By then, sentiment had turned against electing wealthy amateurs solely because they might become patrons of the society, and in 1847 the society decided that Fellows would be elected solely on scientific merit. Since the 1870s, it has been usual (with a few exceptions) for each President to serve for exactly five years. Under the current statutes, a president cannot serve for more than five years.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www2.royalsociety.org/page.asp?tip=1&id=3005|title=The role of President of the Royal Society|publisher=The Royal Society|access-date=6 December 2009 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080609053946/http://royalsociety.org/page.asp?tip=1&id=3005 |archive-date = 9 June 2008}}</ref> The current President is [[Adrian Smith (statistician)|Sir Adrian Smith]] who began his 5-year tenure on 30 November 2020.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://royalsociety.org/news/2020/11/sir-adrian-smith-becomes-president-royal-society/|title=Sir Adrian Smith becomes President of the Royal Society &#124; Royal Society}}</ref>

Historically, the duties of the president have been both formal and social. Under the [[Cruelty to Animals Act 1876]], the President was one of only a few people authorized to certify that a particular experiment on an animal was justified, and in addition he acted as the government's chief (albeit informal) advisor for scientific matters. At the same time, the President was tasked with entertaining distinguished foreign guests and scientists.<ref>{{cite journal|year=1885|title=The Presidency of the Royal Society of London|journal=Science|publisher=American Association for the Advancement of Science|volume=6|issue=146|doi=10.1126/science.ns-6.146.442|pages=442–3|pmid=17749567|bibcode=1885Sci.....6..442.}}</ref>

The changeover of presidents occurs on the Royal Society Anniversary Day, the weekday on or nearest to 30 November, after the departing President's Anniversary Address.<ref>{{cite web | title=The Role of President of the Royal Society | url=http://www.royalsoc.ac.uk/page.asp?id=3005 | publisher=The Royal Society | date=2008 | access-date=2 April 2008}}</ref> Of the 26 presidents since 1901, 18 have been [[List of Nobel laureates|Nobel laureates]] (seven in Physiology or Medicine, four in Physics and seven in Chemistry). Many past presidents, including all those in the 20th century, have been appointed to the [[Order of Merit]].

[[Sir Joseph Banks]] was the longest serving president of Royal Society, serving from 1778 to 1820.

== Presidents of the Royal Society ==
{| class="wikitable sortable" style=text-align:center; border="1"
|+ {{sronly|List of presidents of the Royal Society from 1662 – till date.}}
! scope=col | {{Abbr|No.|Number}}
! scope=col width="100px" | Term
! scope=col class=unsortable | Portrait 
! scope=col width="160px" | President 
! scope=col class=unsortable | Profession
|-
|1
| 1662–1677 || [[File:Portrait of William Brouncker, 2nd Viscount Brouncker.jpg|120px]] || [[William Brouncker, 2nd Viscount Brouncker]]|| [[Mathematician]]
|-
|2
| 1677–1680 || [[File:Sir Joseph Williamson, MP (1690–1700).jpg|120px]] || [[Joseph Williamson (English politician)|Sir Joseph Williamson]] || [[Civil service|Civil servant]] and [[politician]]
|-
|3
| 1680–1682 || [[File:Christopher Wren by Godfrey Kneller 1711.jpg|120px]] || [[Christopher Wren|Sir Christopher Wren]] || [[Architect]], [[astronomer]] and [[physicist]]
|-
|4
| 1682–1683 || [[File:John Hoskins PRS.jpg|120px]] || [[Sir John Hoskyns, 2nd Baronet]]|| [[Lawyer]]
|-
|5
| 1683–1684 || [[File:Sir Cyril Wyche (c.1632–1707).jpg|120px]] || [[Cyril Wyche]] || Lawyer, politician and administrator
|-
|6
| 1684–1686 || [[File:Samuel Pepys.jpg|120px]] || [[Samuel Pepys]] || Civil servant and politician
|-
|7
| 1686–1689 || [[File:John Vaughan, 3rd Earl of Carbery by Sir Godfrey Kneller, Bt.jpg|120px]] || [[John Vaughan, 3rd Earl of Carbery]]|| Politician
|-
|8
| 1689–1690 || [[File:Thomas Herbert, 8th Earl of Pembroke by John Greenhill.jpg|120px]] || [[Thomas Herbert, 8th Earl of Pembroke]]|| Politician
|-
|9
| 1690–1695 || [[File:Sir Robert Southwell in a painting by Kneller hanging at Kings Weston House.jpg|120px]] || [[Robert Southwell (diplomat)|Sir Robert Southwell]] || Diplomat
|-
|10
| 1695–1698 || [[File:1stEarlOfHalifax.jpg|120px]] || [[Charles Montagu, 1st Earl of Halifax]]|| Poet and [[Politician|Statesman]]
|-
|11
| 1698–1703 || [[File:Portrait of John Somers, Baron Somers.jpg|120px]] || [[John Somers, 1st Baron Somers]]|| [[Jurist]] and [[Politician|Statesman]]
|-
|12
| 1703–1727 || [[File:Sir Isaac Newton by Sir Godfrey Kneller, Bt.jpg|120px]] || [[Isaac Newton|Sir Isaac Newton]] || Physicist, mathematician, [[astronomer]], [[natural philosophy|natural philosopher]], [[alchemy|alchemist]], and [[theologian]]
|-
|13
| 1727–1741 || [[File:Stephen Slaughter (1697-1765) - Sir Hans Sloane, Bt - NPG 569 - National Portrait Gallery.jpg|120px]] || [[Hans Sloane|Sir Hans Sloane, 1st Baronet]] || [[Physician]] and [[collecting|collector]]
|-
|14
| 1741–1752 || [[File:Portrait of Martin Folkes.jpg|120px]] || [[Martin Folkes]] || [[Antiquarian]]
|-
|15
| 1752–1764 || [[File:George Parker, 2nd Earl of Macclesfield.jpg|120px]] || [[George Parker, 2nd Earl of Macclesfield]]|| Astronomer
|-
|16
| 1764–1768 || [[File:James Douglas Davison crop.jpg|120px]] || [[James Douglas, 14th Earl of Morton]]|| Astronomer 
|-
|17
| 1768–1768 || [[File:Line engraving of Sir James Burrow (cropped).jpg|120px]] || [[James Burrow|Sir James Burrow]] || Legal reporter
|-
|18
| 1768–1772 || [[File:Mezzotint of James West (cropped).jpg|120px]] || [[James West (antiquary)|James West]] || [[Politician]] and [[antiquarian]]
|-
|19
| 1772–1772 || [[File:Line engraving of Sir James Burrow (cropped).jpg|120px]] || [[James Burrow|Sir James Burrow]] || Legal reporter
|-
|20
| 1772–1778 || [[File:Portrait of Sir John Pringle, 1st Baronet (1707–1782) by Thomas Gainsborough.jpg|120px]] || [[Sir John Pringle, 1st Baronet]] || Physician
|-
|21
| 1778–1820 || [[File:Joseph Banks 1773 Reynolds.jpg|120px]] || [[Joseph Banks|Sir Joseph Banks]] || [[Naturalist]] and [[botanist]]
|-
|22
| 1820-1820 || [[File:Wollaston William Hyde Jackson color.jpg|120px]] || [[William Hyde Wollaston]] || [[Chemist]]
|-
|23
| 1820–1827 || [[File:Sir Humphry Davy, Bt by Thomas Phillips.jpg|120px]] || [[Humphry Davy|Sir Humphry Davy, 1st Baronet]] || Chemist and inventor
|-
|24
| 1827–1830 || [[File:Davies-gilbert.jpg|120px]] || [[Davies Gilbert]] || Engineer, author and politician
|-
|25
| 1830–1838 || [[File:Prince Augustus Frederick, Duke of Sussex by Thomas Phillips.jpg|120px]] || [[Prince Augustus Frederick, Duke of Sussex]]|| Sixth son of [[George III of the United Kingdom]]
|-
|26
| 1838–1848 || [[File:2nd Marquess of Northampton, by Henry Raeburn.jpg|120px]] || [[Spencer Compton, 2nd Marquess of Northampton]]|| [[Nobleman]]
|-
|27
| 1848–1854 || [[File:William Parsons, 3rd Earl of Rosse by Maull and Polyblank crop.jpg|120px]] || [[William Parsons, 3rd Earl of Rosse]]|| [[Astronomer]]
|-
|28
| 1854–1858 || [[File:John Wrottesley, 2nd Baron Wrottesley 1860s.jpg|120px]] || [[John Wrottesley, 2nd Baron Wrottesley]]|| [[Astronomer]]
|-
|29
| 1858–1861 || [[File:Sir Benjamin Collins Brodie, 1st Bt 1856.jpg|120px]] || [[Sir Benjamin Collins Brodie, 1st Baronet]]|| [[Physiologist]] and [[surgeon]]
|-
|30
| 1861–1871 || [[File:Edward Sabine 1860s.jpg|120px]] || [[Edward Sabine|Sir Edward Sabine]] ||  [[Astronomer]], [[geophysicist]], [[ornithologist]] and explorer
|-
|31
| 1871–1873 || [[File:George Biddell Airy.jpg|120px]] || [[George Biddell Airy|Sir George Biddell Airy]] || Mathematician and [[Astronomer]]
|-
|32
| 1873–1878 || [[File:Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker.jpg|120px]] || [[Joseph Dalton Hooker|Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker]] || Botanist and explorer
|-
|33
| 1878–1883 || [[File:William Spottiswoode.jpg|120px]] || [[William Spottiswoode|William H. Spottiswoode]] || Mathematician and physicist
|-
|34
| 1883–1885 || [[File:T.H.Huxley(Woodburytype).jpg|120px]] || [[Thomas Henry Huxley]] || [[Biologist]]
|-
|35
| 1885–1890 || [[File:Ggstokes.jpg|120px]] || [[Sir George Stokes, 1st Baronet]]|| Mathematician and physicist
|-
|36
| 1890–1895 || [[File:Baron Kelvin 1906.jpg|120px]] || [[William Thomson, 1st Baron Kelvin]]||[[Mathematical physics|Mathematical physicist]]
|-
|37
| 1895–1900 || [[File:Joseph Lister 1902.jpg|120px]] || [[Joseph Lister, 1st Baron Lister]]|| Surgeon
|-
|38
| 1900–1905 || [[File:Sir William Huggins by John Collier.jpg|120px]] || [[William Huggins|Sir William Huggins]] || [[Astronomer]]
|-
|39
| 1905–1908 || [[File:John William Strutt.jpg|120px]] || [[John William Strutt, 3rd Baron Rayleigh]]|| Physicist
|-
|40
| 1908–1913 || [[File:Sir Archibald Geikie.jpg|120px]] || [[Archibald Geikie|Sir Archibald Geikie]] || Geologist and writer
|-
|41
| 1913–1915 || [[File:PSM V10 D660 William Crookes.jpg|120px]] || [[William Crookes|Sir William Crookes]] || Chemist and physicist
|-
|42
| 1915–1920 || [[File:J.J Thomson.jpg|120px]] || [[J. J. Thomson|Sir Joseph John Thomson]] || Physicist
|-
|43
| 1920–1925 || [[File:Prof. Charles Scott Sherrington.jpg|120px]] || [[Charles Scott Sherrington|Sir Charles Scott Sherrington]] || [[Neurophysiology|Neurophysiologist]], [[histology|histologist]], [[bacteriologist]], and [[pathology|pathologist]]
|-
|44
| 1925–1930 || [[File:Ernest Rutherford LOC.jpg|120px]] || [[Ernest Rutherford|Sir Ernest Rutherford]] (later 1st Baron Rutherford of Nelson)|| Physicist and chemist
|-
|45
| 1930–1935 || [[File:Frederick Gowland Hopkins nobel.jpg|120px]] || [[Frederick Gowland Hopkins|Sir Frederick Gowland Hopkins]] || [[Biochemist]]
|-
|46
| 1935–1940 || [[File:Wh-bragg.jpg|120px]] || [[William Henry Bragg|Sir William Henry Bragg]] || Physicist, chemist and mathematician
|-
|47
| 1940–1945 || [[File:Henry Dale nobel.jpg|120px]] || [[Henry Hallett Dale|Sir Henry Hallett Dale]] || [[Pharmacologist]] and physiologist
|-
|48
| 1945–1950 || [[File:Robert Robinson organic chemist.jpg|120px]] || [[Robert Robinson (organic chemist)|Sir Robert Robinson]] || [[Organic chemist]]
|-
|49
| 1950–1955 || [[File:Edgar Douglas Adrian nobel.jpg|120px]] || [[Edgar Adrian, 1st Baron Adrian]]|| [[Electrophysiologist]]
|-
|50
| 1955–1960 || [[File:Cyril Norman Hinshelwood Nobel.jpg|120px]] || [[Cyril Norman Hinshelwood|Sir Cyril Norman Hinshelwood]] || [[Physical chemist]]
|-
|51
| 1960–1965 || [[File:Howard Walter Florey 1945.jpg|120px]] || [[Howard Florey, Baron Florey]]|| Pharmacologist and pathologist
|-
|52
| 1965–1970 || [[File:Blackett-large.jpg|120px]] || [[Patrick Blackett]] (Baron Blackett after 1969) || Physicist
|-
|53
| 1970–1975 || [[File:Alan Lloyd Hodgkin nobel.jpg|120px]] || [[Alan Lloyd Hodgkin|Sir Alan Lloyd Hodgkin]] || Physiologist and [[Biophysicist]]
|-
|54
| 1975–1980 || [[File:Alexander Todd Nobel.jpg|120px]] || [[Alexander R. Todd|Alexander R. Todd, Baron Todd]]|| Biochemist
|-
|55
| 1980–1985 || [[File:Andrew Fielding Huxley nobel.jpg|120px]] || [[Andrew Huxley|Sir Andrew Huxley]] || Physiologist and biophysicist
|-
|56
| 1985–1990 || [[File:George Porter Nobel.jpg|120px]] || [[George Porter|Sir George Porter]] (Baron Porter of Luddenham after 1990) || Chemist
|-
|57
| 1990–1995 || [[File:Michael Francis Atiyah (cropped).jpg|120px]] || [[Michael Atiyah|Sir Michael Atiyah]] || Mathematician
|-
|58
| 1995–2000 || [[File:Aaron Klug 1979.jpg|120px]] || [[Aaron Klug|Sir Aaron Klug]] || Chemist and biophysicist
|-
|59
| 2000–2005 || [[File:BobMayHarvard (cropped).jpg|120px]] || [[Robert May, Baron May of Oxford|Sir Robert May]] (Baron May of Oxford after 2001)|| Mathematical Biologist 
|-
|60
| 2005–2010 || [[File:Martin Rees-6Nov2005.jpg|120px]] || [[Martin Rees|Martin Rees, Baron Rees of Ludlow]]|| [[Cosmologist]] and [[astrophysicist]]
|-
|61
| 2010–2015 || [[File:Paul Nurse portrait.jpg|120px]] || [[Paul Nurse|Sir Paul Nurse]] || [[Geneticist]] and [[cell biologist]]
|-
|62
| 2015–2020 ||[[File:Nobel Prize 2009-Press Conference KVA-08.jpg|120px]]  || [[Venki Ramakrishnan]] || [[Biophysicist]] 
|-
|63
|2020–''present''
|[[File:Adrian-smith1.jpg|120px]]
|[[Adrian Smith (statistician)|Sir Adrian Smith]]
|[[Statistician]]
|}

==References==
===Notes===
{{reflist}}

===Sources===
{{refbegin}}
*{{cite encyclopedia |encyclopedia=[[Oxford Dictionary of National Biography]] |title=Presidents of the Royal Society (1662–2006) |year=2004 |publisher=Oxford University Press}}
{{refend}}

{{Royal Society presidents}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Presidents of the Royal Society}}
[[Category:Royal Society]]
[[Category:Lists of British people]]
[[Category:Presidents of the Royal Society| ]]
[[Category:Lists of presidents of organizations|Royal Society]]
[[Category:Lists of members of learned societies]]