British queen creates 12 regal professors to mark 90th birthday

Queen Elizabeth II announced Monday she is creating 12 of the rarest academic honors in Britain to mark her 90th birthday.

Twelve of Britain's leading universities are being allowed to create Regius Professorships. Only 14 of the honors have been granted since the reign of Queen Victoria.

The title of Regius Professorship is a rare and prestigious award bestowed by the Sovereign to recognize exceptionally high quality research at an institution.

The creation of Regius Professorships falls under the Royal Prerogative, with each appointment approved personally by the monarch on ministerial advice.

The Cabinet Office said Monday: "A Regius Professorship is a well-deserved reflection of the exceptionally high quality of teaching and research at an institution. Of the 12 universities, five are receiving a Regius Professorship for the first time, including the first to be conferred on universities in Wales and Northern Ireland."

Each institution will assign the title to an existing professor at the chosen department or will appoint a new professor to take the chair and hold the title.

The new posts of Regius Professor are Manchester (Materials), Cardiff (Chemistry), Newcastle (Ageing), Liverpool (Chemistry), Aston (Pharmacy), Warwick (Manufacturing Engineering), Oxford (Mathematics), Southampton (Ocean Sciences), Glasgow (Precision Medicine), Queen's University Belfast (Elect Computer Engineering), Institute of Cancer Research, University of London (Cancer Research), Imperial College London (Infectious Disease).

Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne said: "I am passionate about promoting science and economic growth right across the country. That's why I promised to push for prestigious new Regius Professorships not just in London and Oxbridge, but in other great centers of learning, including the Northern Powerhouse, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. I'm delighted that promise is being honored."

John Penrose, the minister for constitution, visited Manchester University Monday to make the announcement.

Penrose said: "These new Regius Professorships show how world class theoretical research can be translated into everyday applications that drive British jobs and exports, and benefit society as a whole."

Jo Johnson, the minister for universities and science, said: "The success of our economy is underpinned by the exceptional science and research taking place in our world-leading universities up and down the country, and I'm delighted these 12 institutions have been recognized for their achievements."

A number of Regius Professorships were created for the Queen's Jubilee, but prior to that only two others awarded in the last century, to mark the 200th anniversary of the birth of Charles Darwin in 2009. Before then, the most recent Regius Professorship was created by Queen Victoria. Endit