The Founder's Building, which is now Grade I listed,[11] was officially opened in 1886 by Queen Victoria,[7] who granted the use of "Royal" in the college's name.

[17] Royal Holloway, St George's and Kingston University continue to work together in the field of health and social care teaching and research.

[14] Around 200 species of shrubs, 150 different types of tree and numerous wild flowering plants can be found in RHC's parkland.

[14] A number of recent projects undertaken by Royal Holloway have included an extension to the School of Management (2005 and 2011) and the library (which holds half a million books).

The biological sciences laboratories have also been renovated and the Windsor Building (opened in 2007) houses seminar rooms and a 400-seat auditorium.

[22] In 2013, the Student Services Centre, which is a single point of contact for all non-academic enquiries, was opened in the Windsor Building.

The Drama Department expanded its performance space with the opening of the Caryl Churchill Theatre, which seats almost 200 audience members across two levels and has a third floor for technical operation, in 2013.

[23] The International Building, opened in 2000 by The Princess Royal,[13] houses the Language Centre along with the English, French, German, Italian and Hispanic Studies Departments.

[11] The university has put into place initiatives to enhance environmental performance, such as the improvement of woodland management to develop nature conservation and more recycling banks have been introduced to halls of residence.

[30] A total of 16 lay members are appointed; two from local authorities; one selected by the Privy Council; another by the University of London; two more are appointed as alumni from Royal Holloway, Bedford College or Royal Holloway College; and the rest are chosen to offer a range of skills and experience.

[37] The ISG introduced a MSc in Information Security in 1992, making Royal Holloway the first university to offer a postgraduate course on this subject.

[40] On 14 March 2014, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, were welcomed to Royal Holloway when they attended a ceremony to celebrate the Regius Professorship being bestowed on the Department of Music: the first of its kind.

[41] The current research policy chief of the Higher Education Funding Council for England, David Sweeney and his predecessor Rama Thirunamachandran were both sourced directly from Royal Holloway.

[63] The John Adams Institute for Accelerator Research (JAI) is a major collaboration in the field of particle physics between Royal Holloway and the University of Oxford.

[64] In the field of health and social care research, the SWan (South West London academic network) between Royal Holloway, St George's and Kingston University based at St George's in Tooting is another of Royal Holloway's major collaborative projects.

At the heart of the collections are the legacies of two Victorian collectors: founder Thomas Holloway and artist Christiana Herringham (1852–1929).

[citation needed] Following the death of Herringham part of her eclectic art collection, including paintings by her and other women artists as well as Indian miniatures and Japanese woodblock prints, was given to Bedford College by her husband.

[citation needed] In two cases he broke the record for the highest sum ever paid at auction for a contemporary artist in order to buy the pictures he desired.

[citation needed] Highlights of the collection include Sir John Everett Millais' The Princes in the Tower (1878), Sir Edwin Landseer's Man Proposes, God Disposes (1864), Edwin Long's Babylonian Marriage Market (1875) and William Powell Frith's The Railway Station (1862).

[69] [citation needed][70] The principal at the time, Dorothy Wedderburn, began the sale process which was completed by her successor, Norman Gowar.

The paintings were a Turner ("Van Tromp going about to please his Masters, Ships at Sea, getting a good wetting" c.1844);[71][72] a Constable ("A Sketch for View on the Stour, nr Dedham" c.1821/2)[73] and a Gainsborough ("Peasants going to Market: Early Morning" c.1770).

Whilst representatives are elected to sit on and run a General Meeting, any student is eligible to attend, vote and have their say.

The union also employs more than 50 permanent members of staff who oversee the administrative, democratic and commercial activities of the organisation.

The main union building on campus includes a large function hall, two bars, the Tommy's Kitchen food outlet and its administrative offices.

[77] The Orbital is the Royal Holloway campus magazine and published by the Students' Union, covering subjects from higher education news, opinion, arts, and reviews.

[78] The original official Royal Holloway student publication was in the format of a newspaper called The Egham Sun, but this was replaced with the magazine edition in the early 1990s.

It gets no financial support from the college or SURHUL and advertising revenue acquired by the students on the editorial board pays for printing.

[83] Most halls are part of the main campus,[10] and initially allocated to first year students who firmly accept a conditional or unconditional offer.

[28] In a BREEAM environmental performance assessment, the Butler, Tuke and Williamson halls were rated "Very Good", as their construction was designed to reduce heat loss.

[13] The visitor of the college is Lady Arden of Heswall DBE PC, former Justice of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom.