A former secretary and adviser to Neil Kinnock, Royall was appointed to the House of Lords in 2004 after having stood unsuccessfully to be MEP for The Cotswolds, and to be MP for Ipswich and Ogmore.

She is reputed to have bought the infamous donkey jacket worn by former leader Michael Foot for his Rembrance Day appearance at the Cenotaph in 1982.

[18] The head of the EU's offices in the UK, Jim Dougal, told BBC Wales that the appointment was above board and that proper procedures were followed at every stage.

[30][31] Royall voted against the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act 2023 citing concerns about the bureaucracy the Bill would entail as well as her opposition to proposed fines.

[36][37] In 2019, Royall attracted media attention following her decision to remove octopus from the college menu[38][39][40][41] and supported the introduction of gender-neutral toilets.

[42] As Principal, Royall implemented mandatory unconscious bias training in which students, leading to criticism from Toby Young of the Free Speech Union.

[47] In 2021, Royall led a campaign for Somerville to become a College of Sanctuary, offering a pathway to Oxford for students displaced by war or internal unrest.

[49] In May 2024, Royall instructed Thames Valley Police, who were monitoring pro-Palestine protests, to leave the grounds of Somerville College.

[50] In 2024, the UK Campaign Against Anti-Semitism wrote a formal letter of complaint after the Somerville College magazine, with a foreword by Royall, omitted any mention of Jewish victims in three articles on the Holocaust.