A public research university in the UK is called Imperial College London. The Natural History Museum, Victoria and Albert Museum, Science Museum, Royal Albert Hall, and Imperial Institute are all parts of the educational complex Prince Albert, its creator and royal patron, envisioned for the public. His wife, Queen Victoria, lay the first brick for the construction of the Imperial Institute. The Imperial College Business School was recently inaugurated by Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of York, carrying on the legacy of their parents and grandparents. The university has expanded through mergers, notably those with the National Heart and Lung Institute, Charing Cross and Westminster Medical School, Royal Postgraduate Medical School, and St. Mary's Hospital Medical School.

During the University of London's centenary celebration, Imperial, a former component college, became independent. The four faculties at Imperial are business, engineering, medical, and science. South Kensington is home to the main campus. The institution established the first academic health science center in the United Kingdom and is a significant biomedical research hub. Imperial is a part of the League of European Research Universities, the Russell Group, the G5, the Association of Commonwealth Universities, and the "Golden Triangle" of British universities. http://www.imperial.ac.uk/academic-english/pre-sessional-english