The Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland was founded by the eminent Sanskrit scholar Sir Henry Thomas Colebrooke on the 15th March 1823. It received its Royal Charter from King George IV on the 11th August 1824 'for the investigation of subjects connected with and for the encouragement of science, literature and the arts in relation to Asia'. It continues as a forum for those who are interested in the languages, cultures and history of Asia to meet and exchange ideas.

Beatrice Eileen de Cardi was born in London in 1914, educated at St. Paul's School and University College, London, studying archaeology under Sir Mortimer Wheeler. n 1936, after graduating, she was offered a position as Wheeler's secretary at the London Museum, where he held the position of Keeper. She later became his assistant. During World War II de Cardi worked for the Allied Supplies Executive of the War Cabinet in China, often visiting India within her role. After the war, she became Britain's Assistant Trade Commissioner in Karachi, Delhi, and Lahore and carried out archaeological excavations in these areas. She continued to be involved in excavations working also in the Middle East and in 1973 was awarded an OBE for services to archaeology.

Doreen Ingrams, the daughter of Edward Shortt MP, married Harold Ingrams (See RAS BMM/8) in 1930. She gave up a stage career to travel with him to Mauritius where he was a colonial administrator. In 1934, they moved to Saudi Arabia, travelling with him on his explorations and lived in Hadhramaut. During the war she helped with famine relief and medical care in the area, establishing the first bedouin girls' school. From 1955 she spent 12 years as a Senior Assistant in the Arabic Service of the BBC, and in 1972 she wrote "Palestine Papers 1917-1922: Seeds of Conflict".