what purpose does it serve?
Promoting science and its benefits, recognising excellence in science, supporting outstanding science, providing scientific advice for policy.
Royal Society
The society fulfils a number of roles: promoting science and its benefits, recognising excellence in science, supporting outstanding science, providing scientific advice for policy, fostering international and global co-operation, education and public engagement. 
what was the brown dog affair? It was a political controversy about vivisection that raged in England from 1903 until 1910. was there a trail involved? Yes - The trial opened at the Old Bailey (Royal Courts of Justice) on 11 November 1903 why did the controversy start? William Bayliss at University College London performed an illegal vivisection on a brown terrier dog before 60 medical students while the dog was conscious and struggling what was the verdict of the trial? William Bayliss had been defamed who was he? An English physiologist. did he receive any awards? Yes - Fellow of the Royal Society's Royal Medal in 1911 and their Copley Medal in 1919. why is the latter medal awarded? For outstanding achievements in research in any branch of science and the former? The most important contributions to the advancement of natural knowledge and for distinguished contributions in the applied sciences. when was the organization responsible for this reward established? 28 November 1660
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Royal Society [SEP] Introduction
The Royal Society, formally The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, is a learned society and the United Kingdom's national academy of sciences. Founded on 28 November 1660, it was granted a royal charter by King Charles II as "The Royal Society". It is the oldest national scientific institution in the world. The society fulfils a number of roles: promoting science and its benefits, recognising excellence in science, supporting outstanding science, providing scientific advice for policy, fostering international and global co-operation, education and public engagement. The society is governed by its Council, which is chaired by the Society's President, according to a set of statutes and standing orders.