Rules (and secrets) of the Wimbledon “Royal Box”

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Wimbledon . In the press room, among the letterboxes where the staff stuffs the match schedules, results, and other technical information about the men's and women's draws at Wimbledon every morning, there's a special one, at the bottom left: it's the wooden box containing the day's guest list for the Royal Box, or rather the "Royal Box," the area of ​​the Center Court stands reserved, as the official website reports, for "British and overseas royal families, heads of government, tennis celebrities, business partners, the British Armed Forces, major media organizations, and tennis supporters."

This year, in the first round of the Championships, alongside politicians and CEOs of major corporations, was David Beckham (along with his mother, Sandra, as is tradition), the former Manchester United and England star, whose reaction to Fabio Fognini's formidable shots against Carlos Alcaraz went viral. Two days ago, a certain Roger Federer popped up with his wife, Mirka, while yesterday, on Centre Court, Jodie Foster was enraptured by the shots of German Laura Siegemund, who wobbled world number one Aryna Sabalenka. Next to her, a few seats away, was Sienna Miller. Before the internet, you could find out who the guests in the Royal Box were through binoculars (for the lucky ones who had a ticket to Centre Court) or by word of mouth (for the less fortunate, who got the information from the more fortunate).

Today, the Wimbledon website provides daily details on the identities of the guests , and the lifestyle and social pages of major British newspapers, throughout the Championships, feature a daily column titled "Who is in the Royal Box at Wimbledon 2025 today?", satisfying even the most curious Royal Box enthusiasts. But how does one access the Royal Box, first installed on Centre Court in 1922? By invitation only , granted by the president of the All England Club Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club (AELTC), who in turn consults with the tournament's organizing committee, the Lawn Tennis Association (the British tennis federation), and other opinion leaders who recommend prominent figures who might be offered a seat. The dress code? Men should wear tailored suits, jacket and tie, perhaps with a clin d'oeil in the quintessential AELTC colors (the green of grass fields and the purple of royalty), women should avoid eccentric jewelry and bulky hats or hats with feathers and tinsel, as they could obstruct the view of other guests in the box.

Everyone must respect the dress code, no exceptions, not even if your name is Lewis Hamilton and you're a national hero. In 2015, perhaps forgetting to read the AELTC rules, or perhaps thinking that, as Lewis Hamilton , he could enter in any outfit, he showed up in a floral shirt, straw hat, and earring—and was turned away by the organizers. Each seat, 74 dark green Lloyd Loom wicker chairs with padding for maximum comfort, is equipped with a smart TV that allows you to also peek at what's happening on the other courts . From the Royal Box, it goes without saying, the view of Centre Court is the best there is: you can hear the players breathing hard on the court. The irruption of social media has made many of the secrets of the Royal Box less secret, such as the gift kits given to each guest , or the rituals of lunch, afternoon tea and its pâtisseries with the Wimbledon symbol (Judy Murray, the mother of Andy, the last British player to win Wimbledon, published a photo on X in 2019 of what the desserts served to guests looked like.

“You're not allowed to eat or drink while you're sitting in the box, but you'll be invited to the Clubhouse afterwards for lunch, tea, and drinks, so you won't go hungry,” Grant Harrold, former butler to King Charles III of England and a Royal Box expert, told the Daily Express . And in the evening, there's room for flutes of champagne in the Clubhouse. The first royal to attend a tennis match at Wimbledon was the future King George V, along with Princess Mary of Teck, way back in 1907, when he was still the Prince of Wales. That same year, he was awarded the title of Patron of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club. And ever since, the rule has been that a member of the royal family is involved in the organization with that title . Queen Elizabeth II has never been a particular fan of tennis and has never been very present in the Royal Box (four appearances at Wimbledon in her 70-year reign), and in 2016 she handed over the honor to Kate Middleton. Since 2017, the Princess of Wales and wife of Prince William has been patron of Wimbledon's All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club .

Princess Diana, unlike Queen Elizabeth II, was a regular at the Royal Box. Images from the time show her dressed in wide-shouldered suits and colorful textures alongside a young Prince William. But she never appeared in the Royal Box with Charles, who, instead, appeared in the Centre Court with Camilla in 2012. During George's reign, the custom began for athletes to bow to the Royal Box as a sign of homage to the British royal family. This tradition was scrapped in 2003 by the club's president, the Duke of Kent, who considered it anachronistic. But there was one exception: Andy Murray , who bowed to his sovereign, Elizabeth II, in 2010 because he considered it a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

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