A Royal College in some Commonwealth countries is technically a college which has received royal patronage and permission to use the prefix Royal. Permission is usually granted through a Royal Charter. The charter normally confers a constitution with perpetual succession and the right to sue or be sued independently of the members. The charter also usually provide for rights of recourse to the Queen in Council. Although incorporation is now cheaply and easily obtainable by registration, the distinction of a Royal Charter means that such charters are still sought by and granted to institutions considered to be in the public interest, typically learned professional societies.
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Although many institutions are formally Royal Colleges, such as the three royal public schools of Westminster, Winchester and Eton, the phrase "The Royal Colleges" is commonly applied to the medical institutions, such as the Royal College of Surgeons and the Royal College of Physicians, and the Royal College of Nursing and similar institutions in Australia, Canada, and elsewhere.
These colleges enjoy a special status whereby they can confer recognised post-nominal titles comparable to degrees, e.g. Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons, and they are frequently granted statutory licensing, regulatory and disciplinary powers over their own members and even others.