The Royals

Wimbledon is the only Grand Slam to have a Royal Box. Of course England is the only place that still has “Royals”. The other slams have a Presidents Box, but how can that compete with “Royal”? Each day the press center puts out a list of guests in the Royal Box. I must admit that I have no idea who ninety nine percent of them are, but I can tell by the British photographers pointing long lens in that direction, when s someone of importance is in residence. Guests enter at the All England club main clubhouse and make their way to the Royal Box via two staircases which separate the royals and theVIP’s from the general public. They are treated to lunch between 11:30 and 12:45 pm. Champange is served, but not too much, as one guest put it, “They linit the amount of alcohol served at lunch so you don’t fall asleep in the afternoon”. “The Royal Box has 74 seats. They are dark green Lloyd Loom wicker chairs.” This comes directly from the Public Relations handout. I don’t know why, but this sentence makes me laugh. It just seems so “Wimbledon”, to mention the color and brand of the chairs in the Royal Box. As if it were really important in what brand of chair the Royal Bottoms reside. “Protocol – dress is smart, suits/jacket and ties etc. Ladies are asked not to wear hats, as they tend to obscure the vision of those seated behind them”. This, another proclamation from the Public Relations department. Of course I would think that different people may have varied interpretations of “smart”. Are rock stars invited? What is their idea of “smart”. Are nose rings and purple hair acceptable? Well, of course I’m letting my imagination get the best of me. Am I mad… they wouldn’t be invited in the first place. I’m sure that anyone so honored with an invite certainly knows the proper meaning of “smart” attire. Children are another group banned from the Royal Box. The Duchess of Kent, who presents the winners trophy and whose husband, the Duke of Kent, is President of the All England Club, received a letter stating that children are not allowed after requesting an invitation for her 10 year old god son. She was quite unhappy about this, and threatened to boycott the Championships. Perhaps the committee was concerned that children had not yet learned the meaning of “smart” apparel. In 2003 headlines declared the end to the bowing and curtsey by players to Royals in the box when entering or leaving the court. This was big news. Paying respect to the Royals was a time honored tradition, but the Duke of Kent, made the request that this practice no longer be necessary. All England chief executive Christopher Gorringe said. "It's sad, but we have to move on. We know there is very little bowing or curtsying done in royal circles now." Yes, progress is being made at the Championships. The only exceptions are for HM The Queen and her son, HRH The Prince of Wales. However, players don’t have much to worry about, has not been in attendance since 1977 when she presented the trophy to Virginia Wade, and Prince Charles made his solo appearance in 1970. The Queen’s father, Duke of York, Prince Albert, who later became King George VI, was the only Royal to ever compete in the Championship. Perhaps this explains her distaste for the sport.