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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Sport
Kyle O'Sullivan

What you don't see in Wimbledon's Royal Box - and celebs who embarrassed themselves

Getting tickets for Wimbledon is hard enough, so getting a spot in the Royal Box really is a big deal.

There are 74 seats situated in a prime location on Centre Court that are reserved for the royal family and special guests.

Over the years there have been a whole host of famous faces watching the action from the Royal Box, from high-ranking politicians to world famous celebrities.

It also throws up some unexpected interactions such as the one we saw this week between Kate Middleton and David Walliam's very excited mum.

The Duchess of Cambridge must rank high on the list of people who have been in the Royal Box the most, as she's attended the British grand slam close to 20 times since marrying William in 2011 and has also presented the winners' trophies.

Not just anyone can sit in the Royal Box as it's by invitation only - but those who have been lucky enough to get a seat have revealed some behind-the-scenes secrets

Judy Murray teased us with a look at her tea (JudyMurray/Twitter)

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Dating back to 1922, the VIP area has stunning views of the court and guests get to recline on the iconic green Lloyd Loom wicker chairs.

According to the Wimbledon website, invitees include: "British and overseas royal families, heads of government, people from the world of tennis, commercial partners, British Armed Forces, prominent media organisations, supporters of tennis and other walks of life."

Guests don't just get to watch the action on the court, as they are also invited to have a posh lunch before the matches and a fancy tea later on.

Back in 2019, Andy Murray's mum Judy gave us a snapshot of what those in the Royal Box get to eat.

She jokingly wrote "jealous" while uploading a snap of some delightful treats, including a chocolate tennis racket and a Wimbledon tube sign made of icing.

There are lot of others perks that we don't get to see while watching on the telly - such as secret TV screens.

David Beckham loves taking his mum to Wimbledon and in 2019 he revealed what the view was like from their seats.

David Beckham showed what the view from the box is like (davidbeckham/Instagram)
Becks loves a visit to Wimbledon (WireImage)

In a selfie with mum Sandra, you could see a small TV screen built into the front of the stand that allows the guest to watch replays and get different angles.

This means there is no danger of them missing a crucial moment on the court - although this is only available to those lucky enough to be in the front row of the Royal Box.

Becks even got the chance to show off during the men's double's final in 2015 when he casually caught a ball that had deflected up off a chair and got a round of applause from the crowd.

Some massive names have taken up residence in the Royal Box for the day - but sometimes it can get a bit awkward.

Back in 2016, Beyonce and Jay-Z were making their debut at the All England Lawn Tennis Club in 2016 to cheer on their pal Serena Williams.

But Beyonce didn't appear to know what was going on and remained seated when everyone jumped up when Williams served the winning shot.

Bradley Cooper and Irina Shayk were caught by the cameras (WireImage)

There was also some controversy around Bradley Cooper and his then girlfriend Irina Shayk as they were spotted having what looked like a lovers' tiff.

The camera panned over at the wrong moment as model Irina appeared to wipe away a tear while Bradley watched with a tight smile on his face.

Many viewers thought they were having a row and speculated that Cooper's ex, Suki Waterhouse, also being in the crowd might have had something to do with it.

But it later emerged that while Irina's tears were real it was because she was suffering from hayfever.

And The Hangover star Bradley was watching so intently because he was actually talking to former tennis star Stefan Edberg, who was sat on the other side of Irina.

There is a strict dress code in place that must be adhered to - and being a seven-time Formula One champion doesn't mean you are above the rules.

Keir Starmer was in the Royal Box this week (Javier Garcia/REX/Shutterstock)
Lewis Hamilton was refused entry ato the Royal Box in 2015 (Mirrorpix)

Men have to wear a suit and tie, while ladies are asked not to wear hats as they can obstruct the view of those sitting behind them.

Lewis Hamilton found this out the hard way in 2015 he was denied entry into the Royal Box despite having an invitation and didn't get to see any of the tenns.

"Lewis turned up an hour late and wasn't wearing a tie," a source said at the time. "He was told he would need to put one on to enter the box but he threw a bit of hissy fit, which lasted a couple of minutes, and then left.

"There is a strict dress code and the staff manning the box had no choice, he was asked not to enter the box."

He posted a moody picture of himself on Instagram captioned 'Wimbledon' showing him indoors silhouetted against the grass courts at SW19 on the other side of the windows.

At the time, a spokesperson for the Mercedes driver said: "Due to an unfortunate misunderstanding regarding dress code at Wimbledon, Lewis is very disappointed to have missed the men's final."

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