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The English system of Royal Arch Masonry consists of a single Order which works four ceremonies: the exaltation ceremony to bring in new members and an installation ceremony for each of the three Principals who jointly rule the Chapter. The Holy Royal Arch is the only appendant Order that is actively endorsed by the United Grand Lodge of England.
​The theme of the degree revolves around the re-building of the Temple at Jerusalem following the destruction of the first Temple by Nebuchadnezzar and the return of the Jewish people from their exile in Babylon. It concerns the recovery of something that was lost and develops the concepts of man's spirituality. It has variously been called 'the most sacred part of Masonry' and 'the root, heart and marrow of Masonry'.
The Royal Arch is considered to be the completion of "pure ancient Masonry", in the sense that "pure ancient Masonry" can be seen as a journey of self-knowledge and discovery with the Royal Arch completing the practical lessons of the Craft by a contemplation of man's spiritual nature, not replacing but reinforcing and supporting what he has learned from his religion.
​Although the Royal Arch ceremony has been worked since the earliest days of speculative Masonry, its position within the corpus of the Masonic degrees has had a complex history. However, since 2004 the Supreme Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Masons of England has acknowledged it as a fourth degree, this having previously not been the case, it having been considered only to be an extension of the three Craft degrees.

In older days, membership of the Royal Arch was restricted to Masons who had passed through the Chair of a Craft Lodge and was preceded by at least two intermediate degrees. These restrictions have since been removed and a Master Mason may apply to be exalted into a Chapter of Royal Arch Masons four weeks after receiving his third degree.