A private club has warned that too many of its members are “rude”.
The Royal Automobile Club, of which the King is patron, said the amount of “profanity” and “inappropriate comments” heard there had increased.
Prince Michael of Kent is president of the club in Pall Mall, central London, which was founded in 1897 and established the RAC breakdown service.
Writing in the club’s magazine, Duncan Wiltshire, its chairman, said: “Senior managers are having to deal with an increasing number of cases of improper conduct by members, including being rude to employees, using profanity or making inappropriate comments.”
He added: “Sadly, this unacceptable behaviour is not limited to exchanges with employees; we are also seeing an increasing number of disciplinary cases arising from members being rude and disrespectful to each other.”
The Royal Automobile Club has a sign-up fee of up to £6,000, and also has a clubhouse and golf course in Epsom, Surrey. Britain’s oldest motoring organisation sold its roadside assistance business for £437m in 1999 and now operates independently.
Mr Wiltshire, the owner of Motor Racing Legends, wrote: “This is just the tip of the iceberg.”
He quoted one member, who said: “I have never seen the staff under such pressure brought about, I believe, by certain types of members.” Mr Wiltshire added: “I am afraid that he has a point.”
The club is not the first to have experienced issues related to behaviour.
Last month, Maison Estelle in Mayfair closed while the Metropolitan Police investigated “a serious public safety matter outside the premises”, which the police said may have involved a gun or imitation gun.
Westminster city council said there had been “significant breaches of the premises licence”, but did not disclose further details. The club’s licence is scheduled to be reviewed at a hearing this month.
A Maison Estelle spokesman said at the time: “We have closed Maison Estelle for a few weeks while we carry out investigations after receiving information from the Metropolitan Police and following a serious public safety matter outside the premises.
“The safety of our staff, our members and their guests will always come first. We are continuing to work closely with Westminster city council and the police as we review our licence conditions and procedures.”
In 2024, the Hurlingham Club investigated an incident of “inappropriate behaviour” in its sauna. It was said that a member had “made inappropriate comments of a sexual nature to a fellow member”. The £1,400-a-year club overlooks the Thames in Fulham and is a popular society venue.
The Hurlingham Club was approached for a response. The Royal Automobile Club declined to comment.