Imperial College London - Independence mace makes debut

A silver and gilt mace created to mark the independence of a London university has made its first appearance. The mace, donated by the Goldsmiths' Company in recognition of its longstanding relationship with Imperial College London, led the academic procession into the Royal Albert Hall at Imperial's postgraduate awards ceremonies on 6 May. The £25,000 mace incorporates a helix-shaped stem representing the structure of DNA, reflecting Imperial's mission to carry out and apply cutting-edge scientific research. It also features Imperial's crest and the Goldsmiths' Company's coat of arms. Sir Roy Anderson, rector of Imperial, said: "It was a landmark occasion for the college to achieve independence and receive its new royal charter in 2007, and it is wonderful to have a tangible representation of that."