2010 Wimbledon is fit for a Queen

The time has arrived to open the gates to the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, slide back the Centre Court roof and unload a field full of strawberries; our guests will be flooding in after one of our fastest selling tournaments in history. As official hospitality provider to The Championships, Wimbledon, we spend 50 weeks a year looking forward to the world’s most famous tennis tournament.

 

There is no better place we can think of to spend two weeks in the middle of summer, and it is amazing to think of the pleasure 27,000 kilos of British strawberries and 40,000 tennis balls can bring.

 

As with many events in the UK’s social summer calendar, Wimbledon attracts VIPs from the world of business, and more high-profile celebrities who have a genuine love of the game. Who can forget Cliff Richard leading an impromptu sing along during the rain break? This year there is a roof to guard against any stoppages on Centre Court, so that means more tennis for everybody, and the possibility of another dramatic late night finish after Andy Murray’s nail biter against Stanislas Wawrinka last year.

 

But this year the biggest celebrity of all will grace the tournament. Royalty and Wimbledon go hand-in-hand: The Prince of Wales and Princess Mary’s visit in 1907 began a 100-year love affair between Wimbledon and the Royal Family. They arrived shortly after lunch but saw the tennis stopped by a thunderstorm.

 

King George IV was accompanied by Queen Elizabeth to Men’s Singles Final Day in 1947, and the current monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, paid her first visit to the event in 1957. Prince and Princess Michael of Kent are both regular attendees, while Spain’s royal couple Crown Prince Felipe and Crown Princess Letizia saw Rafael Nadal clamber up to their seats after taking the 2008 title.

 

Despite royal visits becoming a recurring theme over the years, the Queen’s first Wimbedon visit since 1977 is sure to put a special magisterial seal on year’s tournament. With the likes of Andy Murray and Serena Williams already thinking about their respective bows and curtseys, the presence of our monarch will give the event an even higher status as one of the most quintessentially British occasions of the summer. Needless to say, despite extremely limited availability, the Queen is more than welcome to pop by The Gatsby Club and enjoy an Albert Roux lunch with us!

 

Wimbledon has brought to life many of the game’s characters – from Jon McEnroe’s comical hissy fits in the 1980s to the never-say-die heroics of Rafael Nadal in 2008’s epic five-set final against Roger Federer.

 

The cast of personalities is as varied as the different nationalities represented at the Grand Slam – and with that in mind, we have aim to offer a package to suit everyone. From the resplendent Centre Court Skyview Suites, to the stylish 1920s-themed Gatsby Club, and The Experience Club where guests can enjoy a more informal package with no dress restrictions, we will be taking our SW19 operations to the next level this year.

 

 

We intend to saviour these precious 14 days while they last, before counting down each of the next 351.