Wimbledon is one of the hottest sporting tickets each summer, with many wanting to catch a piece of the action.
But some lucky people get seats in the highly coveted royal box.
What is the royal box?
For the average tennis fan, securing tickets to Wimbledon is no mean feat, involving a public ballot system that allocates seats, courts, days and prices at random, meaning those applying need to ensure Wimbledon fortnight is free in the event that they are issued with tickets to the world-class event.
Attendees in the royal box, however, are welcome at the invitation of the chairman of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club (AELTC), who takes suggestions from Wimbledon’s organising committee, the Lawn Tennis Association.
The Prince and Princess of Wales are regulars, not least because Kate Middleton is the royal patron of the All England Club, while Princess Eugenie has also been spotted.
Wimbledon royalty, such as Billie Jean King, Martina Navratilova and Pat Cash are also a common sight in the royal box, alongside a hand-picked selection of celebrities.
In addition, political figures such as MPs, distinguished business men and women, and commended figures from public life, such as NHS workers, also have the opportunity to enjoy the game from the royal box. And with only 74 seats available, a spot is much sought after.
Who was in the royal box today?
Princess Beatrice was a guest in the royal box at Wimbledon on Friday with her husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi.
The Duke of Kent and Prince Michael of Kent were also in attendance.
Broadcaster Louis Theroux also enjoyed the semi-final with his wife, Nancy Strang.
Actress Felicity Kendal accepted an invite and brought her son, Jacob Rudman.
Musician Jamie Cullum was also among the spectators, alongside guests Loz Garratt and Brad Webb.
Sir Cliff Richard also attended Wimbledon, and has been spotted at the tournament many times before.
Katherine Jenkins joined the celebrities in the royal box alongside guest Andrew Levitas.
And British director Sir Sam Mendes and his wife, Alison Louise Balsom, Lady Mendes, were also there.
How long is Wimbledon 2023 on for and how can I watch?
Wimbledon began on Monday 1 July and runs to Sunday 16 July, 2023. Play starts on outside courts at 11am and on Court No 1 at 1pm. Centre Court play begins at 1.30pm.
As is tradition, Wimbledon is broadcast in full in the UK by the BBC. The rights also include online streaming on BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website as well as radio commentary on 5 Live and 5 Live Sports Extra. The BBC has televised Wimbledon in the UK since 1937.
What are they watching today?
Novak Djokovic and Jannik Sinner were first on Centre Court today, with play beginning around 1.30pm. The Met Office is predicting rain throughout the day, but thanks to the Centre Court roof the match was able to go ahead.
They will be followed by the match between Alcaraz and Medvedev, meaning by this evening we will know who is contesting Sunday’s men’s final.
Djokovic, 36, has not lost at Wimbledon since 2017, 33 matches ago, and on Centre Court he is, incredibly, unbeaten since Andy Murray took him down in the 2013 final a decade ago.
Sinner, 21, held a two-set lead against Djokovic in the quarter-finals last year, but even that was not enough to stop the Serbian, who powered back and went on to won the whole competition.
The Italian, however, is better than he was last year, and is now ranked within the world’s top 10. “Physically, I have improved,” he said. “I’m much stronger. I can stay on court for many hours without suffering. Also, mentally, you’re going in with a slightly different mental side on court knowing you are also top 10 player. It is a little bit different.
“I have some good things now in my game, and hopefully I can use it in the right way. Last year I played a very good match against him. I have learned from it. Hopefully I can show this on the court. I’m going to stick with my game plan. Hopefully I can execute it in the best possible way.”
