King revealed as member of Garrick Club

THE full membership list of the Garrick Club revealing the King to be among hundreds of establishment figures in its ranks has been leaked, prompting renewed fury at its refusal to admit women.

Leaked documents show other members include Oliver Dowden, the Deputy Prime Minister, Michael Gove, the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, and Richard Moore, the head of the Secret Intelligence Service (MI6).

The chief executive of the Royal Opera House is also a member, alongside Simon Case, who as cabinet secretary is the Prime Minister’s most senior policy adviser, and the actor Brian Cox and his Succession co-star Matthew Macfadyen.

It is the first time the membership of the Garrick Club has been made public, shining the spotlight on senior British establishment figures who are members of a club that has repeatedly blocked moves to admit women.

The leak has intensified the debate around the club’s decision to continue barring women, with its membership list including many senior figures in the judiciary, including a Supreme Court judge, five Court of Appeal judges, eight High Court judges, about 150 KCS, dozens of members of the House of Lords and 10 MPS.

The King is understood to have a ceremonial membership to the Garrick Club, rather than having made a formal application to be a member.

His association to the Garrick is understood to date back to when the monarch was the Prince of Wales.

“It’s more of a ceremonial membership, it’s not like he ever goes there,” a source close to the Palace said. They added that the same membership would not have been extended to the late Queen given the club rules.”

The full membership list reveals a high number of people currently in influential roles – from Whitehall leaders to partners at “magic circle” law firms and heads of consultancies – and its publication has already prompted anger from campaigners for increased diversity in the arts, business, politics and the law.

An analysis of the Garrick’s membership list shows the club’s profile to be overwhelmingly white and predominantly elderly.

The club was founded in 1831 as a meeting place for actors and gentlemen and named in honour of the 18th-century actor David Garrick.