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Who is in the Royal Box on the seventh day of Wimbledon?

The Royal Box is usually occupied by members of the royal family, celebrities and public figures

Kate Ng
Sunday 09 July 2023 13:40 BST
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Wimbledon: Umpire impressively catches ball on Centre Court

Wimbledon has entered its seventh day, marking the end of the first week of the major tennis tournament.

Today (Sunday 9 July) will see Novak Djokovic continue his bid for a fifth consecutive Wimbledon title as he battles Polish player Hubert Hurkacz.

Iga Swiatek will take on Olympic champion Belinda Bencic, while Ukrainian player Elina Svitolina will face former world No 1 Victoria Azarenka.

Britain’s last hope for a singles victory came to an end on Saturday (8 July) after Katie Boulter, the last Brit on the court, was defeated by Eleba Rybakina. Andy Murray, Cameron Norrie and Liam Broady were all knocked out on Friday (7 July).

Above the mingling crowds in the Royal Box, fans can expect to see some famous faces over the course of the next two weeks, including members of the royal family as well as celebrities and public figures.

Keep up with Wimbledon 2023 via our liveblog.

So far, the Royal Box has seen the likes of Wicked star Idina Menzel, former Bafta chair Krishnendu Majumdar, David Cameron, David Beckham, astronaut Tim Peake, Bear Grylls, retired tennis player Roger Federerz, Andrew Lloyd Webber, and Duran Duran frontman Simon Le Bon in its seats.

Several members of the royal family have also been spotted, including Prince Michael of Kent, the Duchess of Gloucester, and the Princess of Wales, who is the royal patron of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club (AELTC).

The Prince and Princess of Wales are regular occupants of the Royal Box during tennis season, as are Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie.

In contrast, King Charles III and Queen Camilla rarely make an appearance at Wimbledon. As the former Prince of Wales, Charles was last seen at the tournament in 2012, where he watched Federer’s match against Fabio Fognini. Prior to that, he had not attended Wimbledon since 1970.

Here’s everything we know about the biggest names in the Royal Box for the fifth day of Wimbledon 2023.

Richard Curtis

(Getty Images for Global Citizen)

Screenwriter Richard Curtis, who is behind some of the most popular romantic comedies ever including Love Actually and About Time, will take a seat in the Royal Box today with his son, Charlie Curtis.

Roger Allam

Rebecca Saire (L) and Roger Allam arrive at The Old Vic Theatre for a gala celebration in honour of Kevin Spacey as the artistic director's tenure comes to an end on April 19, 2015 (Getty Images)

Endeavour star Roger Allam and his wife Rebecca Saire are taking their seats in the box today. Allam, a three-time Laurence Olivier Award winner, is known for his roles as Illyrio Mopatis in HBO’s Game of Thrones, Peter Mannion MP in The Thick Of It, and Lewis Prothero in the 2005 adaptation of V for Vendetta. Saire rose to prominence when she played Juliet for the BBC Television Shakespeare series at the age of 14.

Ellie Goulding

Ellie Goulding: ‘I think this album was a reaction to the lockdown’ (pictured at the 2023 Brit Awards) (Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images)

“Love Me Like You Do” singer Ellie Goulding is a known fan of tennis and regularly attends Wimbledon. She is in the Royal Box today with environmental journalist Lucy Siegle.

Daniel Kaluuya

(Getty Images)

Nope star Daniel Kaluuya is set to witness today’s matches in the Royal Box. The Academy Award-winning actor, who rose to prominence in his breakthrough film Get Out in 2017, will be accompanied by his mother, Damalie Namusoke.

John McCarthy

Journalist John McCarthy is known for being the UK’s longest-held hostage in Lebanon, where he was held prisoner for more than five years while working for the United Press International Television News. He is attending Wimbledon with his former partner Jill Morrell. McCathy is married to Anna Ottewill.

Richard Osman

Richard Osman attends the "Kill Your Friends" UK Premiere at Picturehouse Central on October 22, 2015 (Getty Images)

Former Pointless presenter Richard Osman is a keen Wimbledon goer, attending last year on the first day of the tournament. The Thursday Murder Club author will be seated with his wife, Ingrid Oliver, whom he married last year.

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