Join the Royal Historical Society

Yahagi Bridge at Okazaki on the Tōkaidō, ca. 1834, Katsushika Hokusai, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, public domain

Closing date for next application round:

Friday 13 January 2023

The Royal Historical Society represents the interests of historical researchers in universities, libraries, archives, museums, heritage and broadcasting, as well as those engaged in public, community and family history research.

From November 2021, there are four ways to join and be part of the Society: as a Fellow, an Associate Fellow, a Postgraduate Member and a Member. Each category caters for historians and researchers from different backgrounds, career stages and levels of interest in the past. Before applying to join the RHS, please read more on each of the four categories to find the option that’s most suitable to you. There’s also more available on the new membership categories, of Associate Fellow and Postgraduate Member, introduced in November 2021.

We currently have a worldwide membership of over 4,500 historians, of all kinds, engaged in researching, presenting and publishing history. The Society welcomes historians of all kinds, both from within Higher Education and related sectors, such as heritage, museums and libraries, as well as those interested in the past, but not employed in a history-related profession. Annual subscriptions paid by the membership are essential to sustaining our work and supporting our activities.

RHS Fellows, Associate Fellows, Postgraduate Members and Members are entitled to a range of benefits which are listed on the respective pages.

Applications to join the Society are welcome through the year. Closing dates for applications and supporting references in 2022-23 are as follows. We aim to inform applicants of outcomes, c. 6 weeks after each deadline.