Scott Polar Research Institute
Alias: None
Title: Sir
Rank: Vice- Admiral (Royal Navy)
Dates: 1876-1931
Nationality: British
Awards: Polar Medal (silver); Knight Commander of the British Empire (1929); Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George
Charles William Rawson Royds was born in Rochdale, Lancashire, on 1 February 1876. He entered the Royal Navy as a cadet in HMS Conway and, after varied service with the fleet, was promoted to lieutenant in 1898. He volunteered for the British National Antarctic Expedition 1901-04 (Discovery), led by Robert Falcon Scott, as first lieutenant on the ship. He was also meteorologist (for which he received special training in the Ben Nevis Observatory), and took part in the sledging programme, leading a sledging journey of exploration across the Ross Ice Shelf.
After the expedition, Royds resumed his career in the Navy, achieving promotions to the rank of commander in 1909 and to captain at the outbreak of World War I. After serving throughout the war, he became captain of the Royal Naval College at Osborne, director of Physical Training and Sports at the Admiralty, and in 1923, commodore of Devonport Royal Naval Barracks. Retiring from the Navy in 1926 with the rank of rear-admiral, Royds was appointed deputy commissioner of the Metropolitan Police and was promoted to vice-admiral and knighted in 1929. Royds died on 5 January 1931 and is commemorated in the Antarctic with Cape Royds (77°32'36'' S 166°08'38'' E).