The University of Westminster (informally Westminster) is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom. Its antecedent institution, the Royal Polytechnic, was founded in 1838 and was the first polytechnic to open in the UK. Westminster was awarded university status in 1992. The university’s headquarters and original campus are based on Regent Street in the Westminster area of central London, with additional campuses in the Fitzrovia, Marylebone and Harrow areas of London.