Secrets of the Freemasons revealed for the first time on TikTok: Members of ultra-private organisation open up about coded handshakes and what really goes on at their cloak-and-dagger gatherings

For centuries, they person been the glue linking the astir revered figures successful British society, from kings and statesmen to authors and explorers.

But the mysterious rituals of the Freemasons, and questions astir what they truly bash successful their secretive meetings has prompted galore to judge the worst rumours.

So now, immoderate masonic lodges are turning to societal media to de-mystify what goes connected down the closed doors of their expansive bases.

One clip posted connected the London Freemasons' TikTok relationship claims that members' notorious peculiar handshake is not 'some cloak-and-dagger mystery', but alternatively a 'purely ceremonial' motion that represents 'trust, unity and the values of fraternity'.

Another, posted by a nine acceptable up for young Freemasons, explains that the 'Four Cardinal Virtues' of the organisation are 'Temperance, Fortitude, Prudence and Justice' - the aforesaid arsenic those recovered successful classical philosophy. 

The 'media secretary' of the aforesaid group, the London-based Connaught Club, explains successful a clip that Freemasonry is not a religion but alternatively designed to 'sit alongside' faith.

Other clips instrumentality viewers wrong lodges and ceremonies, with 1 showing an 'investiture' - the process which sees members get promoted -  successful Freemasons Hall successful Central London.

There are besides respective 'meme videos', including 1 showing a dancing pistillate arsenic it proclaims: 'That feeling erstwhile determination are lone a fewer tickets near for the Christmas Dinner, but you bought your summons months ago.' 

And members of the Connaught Club are seen taking portion successful lavish dinners, skiing trips and excitable Christmas parties. 

Its media secretary, Lewis Hooper, explains successful a alternatively much superior video that determination are 'three degrees' of Freemasonry successful England.

He says: 'The intent of those degrees and those rituals is to thatch you those beingness lessons but besides to thatch you however to use them successful your mundane life, truthful that you don't lone go a amended mentation of yourself but a amended idiosyncratic to society, that you lend much and much effectively.'

Mr Hooper, who works time to time arsenic a solicitor, cites charitable giving - including donating £3million to the London Air Ambulance Service - arsenic examples of however Freemasons lend to society. 

The Connaught Club's website says it is 'for young Freemasons successful London'. 

The London Masons person much than 22,000 followers connected TikTok. They person posted respective 'explainer' videos, including 1 revealing the reasons wherefore Freemasons deterioration achromatic gloves. 

A narrator explains: 'Freemasons deterioration achromatic gloves arsenic a awesome of purity and innocence, reflecting the value of maintaining a cleanable and virtuous beingness successful some actions and thoughts.

'The gloves signify equality among Masons, arsenic each members, careless of fertile oregon position, deterioration the aforesaid achromatic gloves during ceremonies and meetings.

'This contented is rooted successful the practices of operative masons, who wore gloves to support their hands, portion moving with unsmooth materials and tools successful the physically demanding tasks of stonemasonry.'

The clip adds: 'Overall, wearing achromatic gloves embodies the ideals of motivation integrity and the committedness to uphold the values of Freemasonry.'

Another explainer tells viewers astir the meaning of the Masons' 'blazing star' symbol. 

It says the prima 'embodies the thought of striving for higher ideals and virtues, encouraging individuals to question contented and knowing successful their lives.' 

The Freemasons' lambskin aprons are besides explained. The narrator of different clip says the apron is not conscionable a 'piece of clothing' but a 'profound awesome of purity, motivation integrity and the travel of self-improvement that each Freemason undertakes.' 

There are astir 200,000 Freemasons successful the UK, and astir six cardinal globally. 

Members person to curse an oath that threatens them with 'having my pharynx chopped across, my lingua torn retired by its roots and buried successful the unsmooth sands of the oversea astatine low-water mark' if it is broken.

And they marque this vow blindfolded and bare-chested, with nooses astir their necks and a dagger aimed astatine their heart.

But galore of the London Masons' videos are light-hearted, including a 78-second clip that plays connected a caller inclination wherever radical code stereotypes astir their day-to-day activities.

One subordinate says: 'I'm a Freemason, of people I instrumentality my regalia lawsuit everyplace I go.'

Another jokes: 'I'm a Freemason, of people I cognize each the words to the National Anthem'.

A 3rd says: 'I'm a Freemason, of people I person respective pairs of achromatic gloves successful my case'.

And successful the last gag of the video, 2 stonemasons unreal they are astir to uncover the group's concealed handshake - earlier proceeding to rise their hands to their look successful a mocking gesture.

The origins of Freemasonry successful Britain agelong backmost to astatine slightest the precocious 1300s.

But members judge their roots spell backmost adjacent further, to the stonemasons who built the likes of Salisbury Cathedral successful the aboriginal 13th century.

By the extremity of the 17th century, determination were respective masonic lodges successful Britain. At slightest 7 were successful London.

As a result, the astir influential men successful London started to go members. They included creator William Hogarth, writer Alexander Pope and much than 1 duke.

The group's lavish Grand Lodge successful Great Queen Street successful London was opened successful 1776. It survived until the 1930s, erstwhile it was replaced by Freemasons' Hall.

Although the nine is mostly made up of men, determination are two women's groups successful Britain - The Order of Women Freemasons and The Honorable Fraternity of Ancient Freemasons.

After the extremity of the First World War successful 1918, the numbers of Freemasons ballooned, with 350 lodges being acceptable up successful the 3 years pursuing the conflict.

Similarly, successful the 3 years aft the Second World War, astir 600 were acceptable up.

The Freemasons said this was down to greater numbers of men wanting to 'continue the camaraderie they had built up during their warfare service, and were looking for a calm centre successful a greatly changed and changing world'.

In 2015, a released rank database showed the unthinkable scope of Freemasonry into British society.

The database of 2 cardinal names dating from 1751 to 1921 included kings Edward VII, Edward VIII and George VI and the statesmen Winston Churchill, Lord Kitchener and the Duke of Wellington.

Authors Rudyard Kipling and Arthur Conan Doyle; England's World Cup-winning manager Alf Ramsey and explorer Ernest Shackleton were each besides connected the list.

Last year, the Mail revealed however infamous serial slayer Jack the Ripper was protected from condemnation due to the fact that helium excessively was a Freemason.

Historian Russell Edwards - who precocious identified the Ripper arsenic Polish migrant Aaron Kosminski - revealed a conspiracy of soundlessness that shielded Kosminski. 

At slightest 5 radical associated with the authoritative British enquiry into the sinking of the Titanic were Freemasons.

The antheral who led the investigation, Lord Mersey, was 1 of them. It was besides claimed that the president of the Belfast shipyard that built the Titanic was a member.

Two of the inquiry's experts were besides Freemasons. Many aboriginal believed the enquiry was a whitewash.

Kenneth Noye, who received a beingness condemnation for the 'road rage' murer of Stephen Cameron successful 1996, was besides a Freemason.

The lifelong transgression had avoided being charged for handling stolen goods successful 1977. He happened to beryllium some a constabulary informer and to person joined a Hammersmith-based lodge of the Freemasons that year.

It besides emerged that helium was enactment up for rank by 2 constabulary officers and ended up becoming maestro of the lodge.

Noye went connected to physique up a transgression empire that stretched crossed the world. He was nevertheless yet kicked retired of the Freemasons.

In 2016, the constabulary watchdog the IPCC announced it was investigating whether Freemason rank influenced elder constabulary officers aft the Hillsborough disaster.

Overall lucifer commandant had been a Freemason since 1975 and became caput of his section lodge - a worshipful maestro - the twelvemonth aft the 1989 disaster. 

He told an inquest that helium did not cognize if his promotion wrong South Yorkshire Police successful the weeks earlier the calamity was influenced by his rank of the alleged 'secret society' but added: 'I would anticipation not.' 

The thought that Freemasonry has played a important relation successful constabulary corruption has adjacent made its mode into fashionable culture, with hints successful the deed play Line of Duty that copper Ted Hastings was successful the secretive order.