Built in 1858, the earliest of the Cardiff shopping arcades, by James & Price, architects.

Western facade and chambers form the entrance to the Royal Arcade. this is a three storey, 3 bay facade with projecting end bays with gables, a slate roof, overhanging eaves and modillions. The centre bay on the ground floor comprises the entrance to the arcade, with the end bays having plate glass shop fronts.

The Arcade runs through to the Hayes and is numbered to 48, with odd numbers to the north and even to the south. It is covered by a glass roof with fretted iron ribs, and large three-light windows to the upper floor. On the first floor are rusticated Venetian windows in moulded round-headed arches, with stringcourses at impost level across the front. Above these is a cornice, and on the second floor each end bay has paired round-headed windows with a foliated dripmould and roundel above, while the central bay had a paired segmental arch window.
(Source; Cadw listing database) S Fielding RCAHMW 13/09/2005