“ON THE DOOR-MAT"

Evening Star, Issue 23370, 13 September 1939, Page 13

“ON THE DOOR-MAT"

KING EDWARD Vil. WAS KEPT WAITING A London club which was so exclusive that, King Edward VTI. was not allowed to enter, is to close. It is the Alexandra Club in Grosvenor street, W., the first women’s club in Britain. It was founded, la 1883 by a group of

titled women and at first was considered by some to be “ rather fast.” At the time it was called the Ladies’ Club. Once when Queen Alexandra, the Princess of Wales, was lunching at the club, King; Edward called for her. Ho was not allowed in, and had to wait on the door mat. The story goes that King Edward clutckled and remarked that us the club was so respectable it was entitled to bear his wife’s name. And so it was named,,

For 50 years the club never allowed a man through its doorways. Then, in 1933, faced with declining membership, the committee decided to allow men in, but only for tea and in a special room. When the club was founded no woman dare stay alone at an hotel. It simply was not done. Jt was to allow women living in the country to make occasional trips to London, without waiting for their menfolk to accompany them, that Clara Lady Vincent and six other members

of the Court circle formed the club. No woman who had not been presented at Court has ever been elected to membership. Some of the founder members are still living, aged over 90. It has not been uncommon for four generations to bo members at the same time. It was at one time so fashionable to lunch there that leaded lights had to be installed in the windows of the dining room in order to prevent unseemly

struggles to obtain seats in whicli lunchers could be seen from the street. After; the club closes members will move across Grosveztor street to the Empire Club, with which the Alexandra is to bo amalgamated.