mperial College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom. Its founder, Prince Albert, envisioned an area comprised of the Victoria and Albert Museum, Natural History Museum, Royal Albert Hall, and the Imperial Institute.[7][8] The Imperial Institute was opened by his wife, Queen Victoria, who laid the foundation stone in 1888.[9] Imperial College London was granted a royal charter in 1907. In the same year, the college joined the University of London, before leaving it a century later.[10] The curriculum was expanded to include medicine after merging with several historic medical schools. In 2004, Queen Elizabeth II opened the Imperial College Business School.[9] Imperial is organized through faculties for Science, Engineering, Medicine, and Business. The main campus is located in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. The university's emphasis is on emerging technology and its practical application. Imperial's contributions to society include the discovery of penicillin, the development of fibre optics, and holograph