Description
The Royal Exchange in the City of London was founded in 1565 by Sir Thomas Gresham to act as a center of commerce for the city. The Royal Exchange was officially opened by Queen Elizabeth I who awarded the building its Royal title, on January 23, 1571.
Gresham's original building was destroyed in the Great Fire of London in 1666. A second exchange was built on the site, designed by Edward Jerman, which opened in 1669, and which was also destroyed by fire in January 1838.
The third Royal Exchange was opened by Queen Victoria on October 28, 1844, though trading did not commence until January 1, 1845.
The Royal Exchange ceased to act as a centre of commerce in 1939, although it was for a few years in the 1980s, home to the London International Financial Futures Exchange, LIFFE.
In 1991 architects Fitzroy Robinson Partnership was appointed to refurbish the building and add additional floors in harmony to the original style. Quinn Elizabeth II officially reopened the new building.
The Royal Exchange is now a luxurious shopping center.
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