Welcome Party
History of The Royal Automobile Club
The Royal Automobile Club was founded in 1897 and is synonymous with the history of the motor car in Britain. Prior to its founding, 19th century Britain lagged behind continental Europe in the development of the automotive movement due to the comparatively restrictive British legislation. The RAC played a critical role in representing the interests of motorists and oversaw the exponential growth of the industry in the years following its founding.
In the early 20th century the RAC set up an ‘associate section’ to provide members with roadside assistance and motoring services. In 1901, the RAC introduced uniformed mobile patrols around the roads of Britain. The roadside assistance service (known as RAC Limited) was run by the RAC until 1999. Millions of associate members, nearly one in three of all motorists in the United Kingdom, still make use of those services today.
In 1899 the RAC organized the first major motor show in Richmond, Surrey. In 1905 the RAC organized the first Tourist Trophy motorcycle race, the oldest regularly run motor race in the world. With the success of these events, the RAC became the governing body for motor sport in Britain.
In 1911, with significant growth in its membership, the RAC moved from its original address (on the site of the old War Office) to its current location (89 Pall Mall). The RAC commissioned fashionable Edwardian architects Charles Mewès and Arthur Davis (famous for the Ritz hotels in Paris and London) to design a grand, new, state-of-the-art clubhouse that was reflective of the club's reputation as the ‘Parliament of Motoring.’
During World War I the RAC arranged for its members, with their personal cars, to accompany the British Expeditionary Force to France and Belgium to act as chauffeurs and messengers for the British General Staff. A group of RAC members put themselves and their cars at the disposal of the British Red Cross to help transport war casualties in Europe.
Following World War I the RAC staged the first British Grand Prix at Brooklands in 1926. Then in 1930 it organized what has become the world-famous London to Brighton Veteran Car Run [for pre-1905 cars], a re-enactment of the 1896 ‘Emancipation’ Run between these two cities.
Today the RAC has reverted to its historic roots and serves as a private members’ club with strong motoring associations and traditions.
For those interested, additional details on the RAC's history can be found here.
Directions and other logistics
The Royal Automobile Club is centrally located at 89 Pall Mall SW1Y 5HS near St. James's Park. You can easily access the RAC by Tube - Charing Cross, Embankment, Green Park and Piccadilly Circus stations are all within a 5 minute walk of the venue. Alternatively a black cab or Uber can easily drop you off in front of the club entrance.
Drinks and light food will be served from 6:00pm.
Further details on arrival and departure logistics will be added and emailed closer to the date.
We are optimistic that the Welcome Party will take place outdoors. The terrace is partially shaded by umbrellas and you may wish to bring a jacket or shawl if it gets cooler in the evening. Please keep an eye on the weather and please plan accordingly as the date approaches.
Ceremony and Reception
(Abbreviated) History of The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple
The Honorable Society of the Middle Temple is one of the four Inns of Court in England and Wales exclusively entitled to call their members to the English Bar as barristers. To this day the Inns provide libraries, dining facilities and professional accommodation to legal students and barristers.
The Knights Templar, an order of religious knights, first settled at Middle Temple’s current location in 1160. The Knights Templar built a new church (now known as Temple Church) and developed a substantial complex of buildings - including cloisters, chapels, halls, mills, a brewhouse and a granary during this time. The complex was used as a repository for Royal treasure, tax revenue and other valuables. During the crisis of the rebellion of the Barons and the signing of Magna Carta, King John used the Temple as a headquarters. The Knights Templar dissolved in 1312; Middle Temple’s first lawyers arrived in 1320. By the early 15th century, the Inn functioned as a place of legal learning and education.
Fast forward a century, under the Tudors, Middle Temple enjoyed relative peace despite the turbulence outside its gates. When King Henry VIII dissolved the monasteries in the 1530’s the properties of Middle Temple were passed to the Crown. Middle Temple survived the reigns of Henry VIII’s children Edward in Mary. In the reign of their sister, Elizabeth, with the state gripped by fear of Roman Catholicism, royal interest began to grow in the Inn. Pressure was exerted on the Inn to regulate the attendance of its members at Temple Church. Heightened royal scrutiny also impacted legal education as the role of the Inns in the tuition of barristers became more codified.
As Middle Temple continued to flourish as a hub of English society, its Hall became insufficient as a venue for feasting, revelry and education. Under the auspices of the Treasurer Edmund Plowden, a favorite of Queen Elizabeth, construction of a new Hall began by 1562 and was completed in 1574. We look forward to continuing the tradition of feasting and revelry with you in June in this very Hall!
Fast forward another five centuries, Middle Temple’s charter, laid out by James I in 1608, to provide education and accommodation for lawyers remains at the core of the Inn’s mission. It is important to note that Middle Temple also has an important history and role beyond the law. Members of the Inn have achieved fame (and infamy) elsewhere too - their cultural, political, navigational, architectural and revolutionary achievements are beyond number.
For those interested, additional details on the Middle Temple's history can be found here.
Directions and other logistics
Middle Temple is located in the wider Temple area of London, near the Royal Courts of Justice and within the City of London. You can easily access Middle Temple by Tube - Holborn, Chancery Lane, Temple and Blackfriars stations are all within walking distance of the venue.
Further details on arrival and departure logistics will be added and emailed closer to the date.
Weather allowing, the wedding will take place both indoors and outdoors. There is limited shade in the gardens so may wish to bring sunglasses. Please keep an eye on the weather and please plan accordingly as the date approaches.