Over the last two weeks, Wimbledon’s Royal Box has seen its fair share of royals and celebrities. But who gets the coveted invite? It’s not just members of the British royal family. Here’s what to know about the All England Lawn Tennis Club’s most exclusive seating:
The Royal Box was built in 1922.
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Centre Court under construction, All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, Church Road, Wimbledon, London, 1922.
The royals began attending Wimbledon in 1907, when the then-Prince of Wales and Princess Mary (the future King George V and King Mary) were at the tournament, and in 1910, King George V became the royal patron of the All England Lawn Tennis Club. Ever since, the tournament has had a royal patron. It took another twelve years for the Royal Box to be constructed, however, as Centre Court wasn’t built until 1922.
Players used to curtsy and bow to the Royal Box.
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King George V and Queen Mary of England meet tennis champion Suzanne Lenglen, 1926.
From when the royals began attending Wimbledon until 2003, players curtsied and bowed to the Royal Box as they entered Centre Court. “When I got the hang of it, I came to quite enjoy it,” nine-time Wimbledon champion Martina Navratilova said. “I liked that part. The players walking on the court, curtsying in unison. That was a part of the great tradition here.”
The policy change was sparked by the then-royal patron, Prince Edward, Duke of Kent. “The Duke of Kent feels that during his lifetime the tradition of bowing and curtseying is pretty much on the way out,” the All England Club chairman, Tim Phillips, said at the time. “To do it very publicly on the centre court at Wimbledon doesn’t seem right therefore.”
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Andy Murray bows for Queen Elizabeth II ahead of his second round match against Jarkko Nieminen of Finland, 2010.
Seven years later, however, when Queen Elizabeth was making a rare appearance in the Royal Box, Andy Murray bowed to her, calling the match a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity” but saying his bow a was “a bit awkward.”
The Royal Box has a very strict dress code.
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Nicole Kidman in the Royal Box, Wimbledon 2025.
The dress code is “smart,” which means suits, jackets, and a tie for men. In addition, according to Wimbledon.com, “Ladies are asked not to wear hats, as they tend to obscure the vision of those seated behind them.” Yet, in recent years, many Wimbledon attendees have been spotted in hats—including the Princess of Wales—during particularly sunny matches.
In 2015, Lewis Hamilton was turned away for a dress code violation, and missed the men’s final between Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic. A spokesperson for Hamilton later said, “Due to an unfortunate misunderstanding regarding dress code, Lewis is very disappointed to have missed the men’s final.”
Who gets invited to the Royal Box?
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Prince William, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Catherine, Princess of Wales, at the men’s singles finals 2025.
There are just 74 seats in the Royal Box. According to the All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC), the Royal Box is now “used for the entertainment of friends and guests of Wimbledon,” including “British and overseas Royal Families are invited as well as heads of government, people from the world of tennis, commercial partners, British armed forces, prominent media organisations, supporters of British tennis and other walks of life.” According to The Athletic, “The invitation process is quite nebulous. There are no particular criteria and it’s essentially all decided by whoever is chair of the AELTC at the time, which has been Debbie Jevans since 2023.”
An invitation to the Royal Box isn’t just tennis—it also includes “lunch in the Clubhouse prior to the commencement of play, afternoon tea and drinks at the end of the day.”
Invites used to just focus on members of the royal family, however. In 1999, per Sky History, “the Duchess of Kent became embroiled in a public spat with the then Chairman, John Curry. The Duchess, who was a long-time patron of the sport and a familiar face at Wimbledon, tried to invite the 12-year-old son of a recently deceased friend into the Royal Box. While she had hoped the gesture might alleviate some of the boy’s grief, the request was rejected by Curry since the youngster was a non-royal. There was talk of the Duchess boycotting the event as a result, though the rift was eventually healed.”
See the Wimbledon Royal Box through the years:
1947
Princess Margaret, Queen Elizabeth (then Princess Elizabeth), and King George VI.
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1966
Princess Margaret, on left, smokes a cigarette.
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1991
Princess Diana and Prince William.
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1997
Former president George H.W. Bush and former First Lady Barbara Bush.
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2001
The Duke of Kent, the then-royal patron of Wimbledon.
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2007
Actor Pierce Brosnan and his wife Keeley.
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2010
Queen Elizabeth and the Duke of Kent (on left).
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2011
Kate Middleton’s first appearance in the Royal Box.
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2019
Kate, Meghan Markle, and Pippa Middleton.
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2023
Princess Charlotte and Prince George.
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2025
King Felipe of Spain, center.
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2026
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Emily Burack (she/her) is the Deputy Digital Editor for Town & Country, where she covers entertainment, celebrities, the royals, and a wide range of other topics. Before joining T&C, she was the deputy managing editor at Hey Alma, a Jewish culture site. Follow her @emburack on Instagram, Twitter, and other social media platforms.