A
royal charter is a formal document issued by a monarch as
letters patent, granting a right or power to an individual or a
body corporate. They were, and are still, used to establish significant organisations such as cities (with
municipal charters) or universities. Charters should be distinguished from
warrants and letters of appointment, as they have perpetual effect. Typically, a Royal Charter is produced as a high-quality work of
calligraphy on
vellum. The British monarchy has issued over 980 royal charters. Of these about 750 remain in existence. The earliest was to the town of
Tain in 1066, making it the oldest Royal Burgh in Scotland, followed by the
University of Cambridge in 1231. Charters continue to be issued by the British
Crown, a recent example being that awarded to the Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity, on 7 April 2011.