It's officially tennis season, which can only mean one thing: Wimbledon fever has well and truly taken over! And while we're obviously here for the on-court drama, one of our favourite parts of the Championships is playing 'spot the celeb' in the Royal Box (you can see who's made the cut so far this year, right here).
Despite its name, though, landing one of the Royal Box's 74 coveted seats isn't as simple as being famous – or even being a member of the Royal Family. Invitations are personally issued by the Chair of the All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC), currently former tennis player Deborah Jevans, who works alongside the Championships' Organising Committee, the Lawn Tennis Association and other tennis bodies to decide the guest list. In fact, one year even Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, reportedly wasn't allowed to take her place.
Back in 2019, Meghan was said to have missed out on sitting in Wimbledon's Royal Box while attending to support close friend Serena Williams because she was wearing blue jeans, which aren't permitted in the Royal Box or members' enclosures.
Instead, the Duchess watched the match from Court No. 1, alongside two friends, where the stricter dress code didn't apply.
She was also spotted in the Box later on that month, sitting alongside Kate Middleton and her sister, Pippa.
As it turns out, the Royal Box has plenty of etiquette rules beyond its no-denim policy. Guests are expected to dress smartly, with men typically wearing suits or jackets and ties, while women are asked to avoid hats so they don't obstruct the view of those sitting behind them. Oversized bags are also discouraged, and casual pieces including T-shirts, shorts, leggings, hoodies and flip-flops are all considered a no-go. The idea is to preserve the formal atmosphere of one of the Championships' most exclusive areas.
