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The announcement was made to members of the MCC by the President of the Club, David Morgan, at the Members’ Bicentenary Banquet. “We are delighted that Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have accepted our invitation to become Honorary Life Members of MCC, and it was an honour to announce the news at the Members’ Bicentenary Banquet on Wednesday,” Mr. Morgan said later. “This great club has enjoyed an excellent relationship with the Royal Family over the years and long may it continue.”
However, William and Catherine are not the first members of their family to receive this honour. Both The Duke of Edinburgh and The Prince of Wales were made Honorary Life Members of MCC, in 1948 and 1975 respectively. The Duke of Edinburgh also served as the President of the Club for two terms – in 1949 and 1974. In addition, Her Majesty The Queen is the Patron of the MCC.
The MCC Committee is responsible for awarding Honorary Life Memberships to deserving individuals. At present, there are 18,000 full members of the MCC, of which 300 are Honorary Life Members. Following their election, the Duke and Duchess joined the ranks of world-renowned cricketers such as Sir Vivian Richard, Brian Lara, Sachin Tendulkar and Shane Warne, who are also Honorary Life Members of the MCC.
Last year, the Marylebone Cricket Club was granted a Royal Charter, which was unveiled by Princess Anne at Lord’s. The charter was considered and approved by The Queen and the Privy Council in 2012, and came into effect on the 1st of July, 2013.
Both William and Catherine have spoken of their love for sports, and earlier this year, while in New Zealand, they both played a spot of cricket. Earlier this year, Prince William and his brother Harry participated in a cricket match in aid of United for Wildlife.
Photo Credit: Government House, New Zealand/Woolf/Crown
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