Up to 60 new fellows (FRS), honorary (HonFRS) and foreign members (ForMemRS) are elected annually in late April or early May, from a pool of around 700 proposed candidates each year. New fellows can be nominated only by existing fellows for one of the fellowships described below:
Fellow , elected as an honorary member in 2013 Every year, up to 52 new fellows are elected from the United Kingdom, the rest of the
Commonwealth of Nations, and Ireland, which make up around 90% of the society. Each candidate is considered on their merits and can be proposed from any sector of the scientific community. Fellows are elected for life on the basis of excellence in science and are entitled to use the
post-nominal letters FRS.
Foreign member , elected as a Foreign Member in 2016 Every year, fellows elect up to ten new foreign members. Like fellows, foreign members are elected for life through
peer review on the basis of excellence in science. , there are around 165 foreign members, who are entitled to use the post-nominal
ForMemRS.
Honorary fellow was elected a Fellow in 1918. Honorary fellowship is an
honorary academic title awarded to candidates who have given distinguished service to the cause of science, but do not have the kind of scientific achievements required of fellows or foreign members. Honorary Fellows include the World Health Organization's Director-General
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (2022),
Bill Bryson (2013),
Melvyn Bragg (2010),
Robin Saxby (2015),
David Sainsbury, Baron Sainsbury of Turville (2008),
Onora O'Neill (2007),
John Maddox (2000),
Patrick Moore (2001) and
Lisa Jardine (2015). Honorary Fellows are entitled to use the post nominal letters
HonFRS.
Former statute 12 fellowships Statute 12 is a legacy mechanism for electing members before official honorary membership existed in 1997. Fellows elected under statute 12 include
David Attenborough (1983) and
John Palmer, 4th Earl of Selborne (1991).
Royal Fellow The Council of the Royal Society can recommend members of the
British royal family for election as
Royal Fellow of the Royal Society. there are four royal fellows: •
Charles III, elected 1978 •
Anne, Princess Royal, elected 1987 •
Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, elected 1990 •
William, Prince of Wales, elected 2009
Elizabeth II was not a Royal Fellow, but provided her
patronage to the society, as all reigning
British monarchs have done since
Charles II of England.
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (1951) was elected under statute 12, not as a Royal Fellow. ==Election of new fellows==