Where might Jeff Bezos, David Attenborough, the Princess of Wales, Kylie Minogue, Prince Albert of Monaco, Pep Guardiola, Bad Bunny, David Beckham, Samuel L Jackson, David Cameron, British daytime TV personality Mr Motivator, Sachin Tendulkar, Richard Branson, Alex Ferguson, assorted minor and not so minor members of the Royal Family, scientists, directors of the National Health Service, art historians, captains of industry, professors, doctors and James Bond all sit together?It’s a ticket money can’t buy, an invite anyone can ask for but might not get, and if they aren’t wearing the right shoes then they won’t get in. On the upside? The best view in the house for the most famous tennis tournament in the world. Plus lunch.The Royal Box at Wimbledon is an unending source of fascination for people ostensibly tuning in to watch some top-class sport, and for 2026, it has something new — an even stricter dress code.Men have always been asked to wear a lounge suit or blazer and tie; for women, it’s “afternoon dress” (nothing above the knee) or an elegant trouser suit. Women are also asked not to wear hats, lest they obscure the view of those behind them. But this year, according to a dress code reviewed by The Athletic, women have been told that strapless, off-the-shoulder and spaghetti-strap attire is not permitted, with illustrations of appropriate and inappropriate wear for both men and women.Lewis Hamilton fell foul of the clothing rules in 2015 when he was denied entry to the Royal Box after showing up without a jacket and tie, thus missing the men’s final between Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic.A clutch of around 80 very comfortable and well-upholstered seats overlook Centre Court, which at one time was primarily used for the purpose its name suggests, to host royalty. Now it’s the place for the great and the good to be seen. And to see a bit of tennis.Who decides who gets into the Royal Box at Wimbledon?Tifo SportsThe Royal Box has been at the south end of Centre Court since 1922 and according to the All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC) “is used for the entertainment of,” among others, “the Royal Family, the tennis world, individuals of distinction and others who in various ways contribute to the betterment of our lives and society.”It was rebuilt in 2002 when the whole infrastructure of Centre Court was refurbished, which included a refresh of the “Clubhouse”, the place where guests gather when not watching the tennis.Sounds good. Fancy going? Well, good luck. The middle Saturday, for example, is the preserve of legends of just about every sport. This year, Ben Ainslie (sailing), Alex Greenwood and Phil Foden (soccer), Tabitha Stoecker (skeleton) and many other stars showed up to be introduced ahead of the first match.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. Under previous incumbent Ian Hewitt, there was a leaning away from a ‘celebrity’ focus, towards those who have done ‘good deeds’ for society.The most prominent recent example of that was in 2021, the year after the Championships were postponed due to the pandemic, when Dame Sarah Gilbert was in the front row. Gilbert was one of the scientists responsible for developing the Covid-19 vaccine and was given a lengthy standing ovation when she was introduced to the crowd.