While a ticket for Wimbledon is one of the most coveted possession for tennis fans world over, a Wimbledon Royal Box ticket takes the meaning of the word coveted to another level. Looking to understand what are these Royal Box tickets at Wimbledon and whether you can get your hands on them? Here’s more.
So, what is the Wimbledon Royal Box?
As the name indicates, the Royal Box, which is found at the Wimbledon’s Centre Court, is an enclosed area that has 74 seats for “friends and guests of Wimbledon” as described by Wimbledon.
Yes, that’s correct, just 74 and the access to these seats is by invite only. Tickets cannot be bought for the Wimbledon Royal Box and the invites are sent out on the basis of the recommendations made by the Chairman of the All England Club – which was Philip Brook till 2019 – and The Championships’ Organising Committee, The Lawn Tennis Association. So if you are looking at an entry into the Royal Box, that’s whom you need to get in touch with!
Coming back to the Wimbledon Royal Box itself, these are the dark green seats which also have padding on them to allow for a more relaxed watching experience for the guests. The chairs are made of Lloyd Loom wicker (this is how a Lloyd Loom Wicker Chair looks like)
Does the Royal Box have a Dress Code?
The Royal Box is also the only seated place at Wimbledon where the guests need to follow a dress code. Men need to wear suits or jackets with ties while women are required to not wear hats. This is to ensure they don’t obscure other guests’ view of the tennis.
Interestingly, there has been a controversy around this dress code when Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton wasn’t allowed entry into the Royal Box for having fallen afoul of the rules in 2015. On another occasion at the 2017 Wimbledon, Pippa Middleton and her mother Carole, had to sit in normal seats at the Centre Court because they arrived later than the start time as Andy Murray overcame Benoit Paire in that opening round encounter.
The Royal Box, as you would would have realised by now, have some of the most prestigious sports seats but invites are sent to public outside the Royal family. This includes film-stars, sportspeople, fashionista and politicians among others, often forming a motley crowd of celebrities. Former tennis players and other sporting stars are usually in attendance, along with Wimbledon’s commercial partners most times along with British actors.
Other than attending Wimbledon matches at the Centre Court and rubbing shoulders with other A-List celebrities, the guests of the Royal Box are also allowed access to lunch, tea and at the end of the match-day, drinks at the Clubhouse.
So, how much does a Royal Box ticket cost?
Almost wrong to call it a Royal Box ‘ticket. ‘The Royal Box entry does not have a ticket or a pass associated with it, it’s by invite-only and as mentioned above, needs the chairman of the All England Club to approve your presence in the box. On the flip-side, it costs nothing!
When was the Royal Box opened?
The first use of the Royal Box at Wimbledon was made in 1922, reserved British Royal Family and their guests since then. Male players had to bow to the Royal Box while female player had to curtsey but this rule was changed in 2003. Now the players need to do that if the Queen and Prince Philip are in attendance.
Can you also get an invite to the Royal Box at Wimbledon?
Well, technically yes, you can. It depends on who you are. Because according to the official Wimbledon website, apart from Royal Families, heads of government, and the others mentioned in the list above, this invite is also afforded to the “supporters of British tennis and other walks of life.”
So if you belong to a walk of life through which you somehow become eligible, who knows, there might even be an invite awaiting you in the mail-box.
Where is the Wimbledon Royal Box located?
If you are looking to catch few of your favourite celebrities, the Wimbledon Royal Box can be found on the baseline side of the Centre Court. It is located between the Debenture boxes 201 and 212 as can be seen in the photo below.
