Building    From 1566 

Royal Exchange

Categories: Commerce

The Royal Exchange was established by Thomas Gresham in 1566, following his, and his father's, favourable experiences of the Antwerp Bourse as a place where merchants could arrange credit and loans and so trade effectively.

The first building was lost in the Great Fire but replaced by 1669. A fire insurance company, Royal Exchange Assurance, was based in this building which is depicted on their insignia. Despite this, another, more localised, fire destroyed the second Royal Exchange building in 1838. Prince Albert laid the foundation stone of the third (and last, as of 2007) on 17 January 1842 and two years later Queen Victoria presided at the opening ceremony. This building is by Sir William Tite. If you want to know about the sculpture in the pediment, by Richard Westmacott, son of Richard Westmacott, then Ornamental Passions is the place to go.

Renovated in 2001, the Grade 1 listed building is now, it seems, mainly occupied by seriously expensive jewellery shops. IainVisits has (illicit) photos. 2017:Londonist visited the building and didn't like it very much.

Murals inside painted in 1892 by Lord Leighton and Frank Brangwyn. 2016: Londonist reports that these are at risk.

2023: Londonist's roving reporter found some statues from the building, the one destroyed in the 1838 fire, in the garden of a hotel in Swanage.

Comments are provided by Facebook, please ensure you are signed in here to see them

This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
Royal Exchange

Commemorated ati

Prince Albert - Holborn

Prince Albert, dressed as a field marshal, doffs his hat to the passing traff...

Read More

Other Subjects

Maggie Richardson

Maggie Richardson

Sold flowers at "Maggie's Corner" for 60 years. This lovely evocative photo (found for us by Denis Hoare) comes from Jonnie3 at Flickr where it is captioned 'Oxfam shop, Hampstead High Street, Lon...

Person, Commerce

1 memorial
Lord Strathcona and Mount Royal, Donald Smith

Lord Strathcona and Mount Royal, Donald Smith

Born Scotland.   Emigrated to Canada in 1838 to work with the Hudson's Bay Company.  He worked his way up the company and entered politics, made his fortune and was knighted in 1886.  Died  28 Gros...

Person, Commerce, Philanthropy, Politics & Administration, Canada

1 memorial
Bernard Sunley

Bernard Sunley

Property developer and philanthropist. Born 46 Jugela Street, Catford. Made his fortune in the re-building work after WW2. Died at home, 26 Harley Road, Hampstead. This was the only picture we cou...

Person, Commerce, Philanthropy

2 memorials
Col. Sir Horace Brooks Marshall, K.C.V.O., LL.D.

Col. Sir Horace Brooks Marshall, K.C.V.O., LL.D.

Very successfully pioneered bookshops on railway stations with the business name Horace Marshall and Son. The son being Horace Brooks Marshall, Jnr.  Snr. was a Commoner on the Bridge House Estates...

Person, Armed Forces, Commerce, Politics & Administration

1 memorial
Foyles bookshop

Foyles bookshop

Created by William and Gilbert Foyle.  See William for more information. For more on old London bookshops see Spitalfields Life.

Group, Commerce

2 memorials