Good morning. What do King Charles, Succession’s Matthew Macfadyen and Michael Gove have in common? Guardian reporter Amelia Gentleman has revealed they, alongside many others, are members of the Garrick Club, a private gentleman’s club (a term which I believe should be banned because it gives me the heebie-jeebies) in central London.
Its 1,500 strong membership is a roll call of some of the most influential and powerful members of the British establishment. One hundred and sixty senior legal professionals, cabinet ministers, and the heads of publicly funded arts institutions are all members. The club’s ban on women and resistance to modernise has created something of a PR storm for those on the list. As more questions and criticisms arose, it became clear that holding on to membership was not tenable; Simon Case and Richard Moore, respectively the heads of the civil service and MI6, U-turned on their positions and resigned their memberships.
