King's College London, also known as King's or KCL, is a publicly owned research university headquartered in the United Kingdom. Founded by royal charter in 1829 under the patronage of King George IV and the Duke of Wellington, the institution operates with approximately 20,740 employees. Functioning as a public research university, it is located in London, England. King's became one of the two founding colleges of the University of London in 1836 and is recognized as one of the oldest university-level institutions in England.