The Royal Exchange in the City of London was founded in 1565 by Sir Thomas Gresham to act as a place where traders could gather together to buy and sell their wares. It was officially opened by Queen Elizabeth I who awarded the building its Royal title, on 23 January 1571.

The original Exchange survived until the Great Fire of London destroyed it in 1666. The building was burnt down in 1666 and again in 1838. Queen Victoria opened the present day building in 1844.

The Royal Exchange continued to trade for nearly 350 years, until it was taken over by the International Financial Futures Exchange in the 1990s. Today, the building has been transformed into a high-class shopping mall.

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