At Royal Holloway, we’re proud of our history. Brave from the beginning, we were founded over 170 years ago by two Victorian social pioneers who wanted to make a difference.

Royal Holloway is formed from two colleges, Bedford College, founded by Elizabeth Jesser Reid and Royal Holloway College, founded by Thomas and Jane Holloway.

These colleges were among the first places in Britain where women could access higher education, so our rich history is deeply rooted in providing equity in opportunity, transforming lives through education and creating positive change.