The first female members of the Garrick Club in nearly 200 years will be actresses Judi Dench and Shan Phillips
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London's prestigious Garrick Club, founded in 1831, welcomed actresses Judi Dench and Sian Phillips as its first female members.
London's Garrick Club, which has been under scrutiny for many years because of male exclusivity, has opened its doors to women for the first time - actresses Judi Dench and Shan Phillips will be the club's first members. Writes UNN citing The Guardian.
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London's Garrick Club has welcomed its first female members. Actresses Judi Dench and Shan Phillips are named outstanding members of the Garrick Club.
This made them the first women in the club's 193-year history to be allowed to join the club, notes The Guardian.
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The Garrick Club was founded in 1831. Located in the Covent Garden district of central London, it counts among its members numerous judges and lawyers, journalists, senior civil servants and political leaders.
Like other prestigious clubs, the Garrick Club has been reserved for men under an ancient rule that has regularly been condemned as archaic. According to a list published by The Guardian in March, the club's members include King Charles III, as well as actors Brian Cox and Benedict Cumberbatch.
Judi Dench, 89, has been recognized for her roles in movies and on stage. The actress's notable works include the Royal Shakespeare Company as well as the James Bond films.
Shan Phillips, who is 91, has had an equally distinguished career in film, theater and television, and in 2016 was named a Dame for services to drama.
Traditions change slowly
About 60% of the central London institution's members voted in May 2024 to admit women, reversing several previous votes that had blocked proposals to reform the club's rules.
Although a number of women who have held senior positions in the British establishment were immediately nominated as potential members, including British antiquarian, Cambridge professor Mary Bird; former Home Secretary Amber Rudd; Channel 4 news presenter Cathy Newman and so on, but the process of joining the Garrick Club remains challenging. Acceptance could take two to five years and despite the vote, it's likely the club won't admit its first women until 2026.
