Stephen Royce graduated from Middlebury College and pursued legal studies, gaining admission to the bar in 1809. He practiced law in several locations and mentored future attorneys. Royce held various political offices, including serving as a state representative, state's attorney, and justice and Chief Justice of the Vermont Supreme Court. He earned an honorary LL.D. from the University of Vermont and was the last Whig Governor of Vermont before transitioning to the Republican Party.

Stephen Royce's political identity is marked by a steadfast commitment to fiscal responsibility and judicial independence, combined with an ideological fluidity that saw him transition from Whig to Republican. Royce's tenure as Vermont's Governor during the pivotal shift from Whig to Republican reveals a strategic adaptability, balancing conservative fiscal policies with a forward-thinking approach to party realignment. His unexpected convergence with opposing factions on environmental regulations suggests a calculated approach to regional interests, leaving one to wonder how he reconciles these positions with his broader policy framework.