Royal Golf at Birkdale and Mayfair, but what about a ‘Royal Palm Beach’?
Royal Mayfair
Royal Mayfair first connected with the Royal Family in 1927 when Prince of Wales at the time, later Edward VIII, and his brother George, the Duke of Kent, who later became George the VI (and father of Queen Elizabeth II), visited the club and played golf. The brothers broke the dress code by playing in trousers instead of knickers. Soon after, trousers became standard wear for golfers at what would become Royal Mayfair.
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Nearly 50 years later, in 1978, when Edmonton hosted the Commonwealth Games, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, and their sons, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward, attended a luncheon at the club. That was the second royal visit.
The club’s third brush with royalty occurred in March of 2002 when Prince Michael of Kent, a first cousin of Queen Elizabeth II, attended a dinner at the club for the South Alberta Light Horse Infantry. In 2003, following that visit, several club members discussed the possibility of requesting the royal designation. Queen Elizabeth II granted it in 2005.
But that just having the visits wasn’t enough.
The club needed to get the support of the Lieutenant Governor of the Province of Alberta and then support of the Governor General of Canada by outlining the club’s place of significance in the community and region. The club also had to be a non-profit entity, one that supported charitable and scientific causes and that could demonstrate financial stability. Then the information went up the governmental chain.
Two years later, in 2005, Queen Elizabeth proclaimed the club Royal Mayfair.