One of London's most exclusive gentlemen's clubs has yielded to this week's extraordinary heatwave, permitting members to remove their jackets in the garden for the first time.
The Travellers Club on Pall Mall, known for its adherence to tradition, issued the temporary dispensation as temperatures in the capital surged past 35°C.
Club secretary Conrad Winter communicated the relaxation to members, stating: "In view of the high temperatures and humidity, members who wish to take off their jackets in Carlton Garden may do so, other than those members wearing short-sleeved shirts."
The club's membership includes King Charles and Prince Edward among its honorary royal members.
King Charles and Prince Edward’s private London club is allowing its members to remove their jackets in the 35°C heat
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Tuesday's peak of 35.1°C at Kew Gardens in south-west London officially became the hottest May day ever recorded in British history.
Heathrow Airport registered 35.0°C on the same day, confirming the exceptional nature of the conditions.
The record had already been broken once that week, with Monday seeing temperatures reach 34.8°C at Kew Gardens.
Londoners also endured what meteorologists term "tropical nights" during the heatwave, with overnight temperatures in south London refusing to fall below 21.3°C - the highest minimum ever recorded in May.
GB News' own Michael Portillo, with his wife Carolyn, arriving at the Travellers Club in London's Pall Mall in 2001
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The extreme conditions caused widespread sleep disruption across the capital.
The Travellers Club maintains its status as a men-only institution for full membership, though it extends honorary membership to British and foreign royals, including Prince Michael of Kent, alongside the King and Duke of Edinburgh.
King Charles inherited his position as the club's royal patron from his late mother, Queen Elizabeth II.
The UK recorded its hottest May bank holiday ever
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A sign reminding passengers to carry water is displayed as a man exits Embankment Underground Station during a heatwave
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While women cannot hold official membership, royal women have been welcomed as distinguished guests, Queen Camilla among them.
The late Queen Mother regarded the club's library as her favourite room anywhere in London.
Relief arrived mid-week as an easterly breeze from the North Sea pushed temperatures down to a more comfortable 25°C to 29°C.