The Royal Box guest list was crowned on Day 9 by Lady Sarah Chatto – the daughter of Princess Margaret, niece of Queen Elizabeth II and thus a first cousin of King Charles – for the curtain-raiser on quarter-final action at the All England Club.

Lady Sarah, an acclaimed artist, and her husband, Daniel Chatto, a former actor, fittingly presided over an ensemble of guests from the performing arts that amounted to a collection of national treasures.

Notable acting knights of the realm included Sir Mark Rylance, the first artistic director of Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre. As a returning Royal Box spectator, he may well have rallied fellow guests to take their seats after luncheon with the battle cry from Henry V: “Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more.”

It was surely not a coincidence that Sir Ian McKellen joined the Day 9 cast. The actor has a tattoo of the Elvish number nine on his shoulder to commemorate the camaraderie he enjoyed as the wizard Gandalf in Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy (fellow actors playing the original nine companions of the Fellowship of the Ring did the same).

Another thespian back for a Centre Court encore was Richard E Grant. After scrubbing up from his Withnail and I debut, he’s proven to be a versatile artist in period dramas (such as Gosford Park) and the aristocratic black comedy (Saltburn).

Adding boho-chic style and beauty to the line-up was Sienna Miller (main picture), fresh from filming a new Jack Ryan movie in which she plays an MI6 agent.

What a coup, too, to have Hollywood headliner Jodie Foster in one of the green-cushioned Lloyd Loom wicker chairs to soak up the drama of Wimbledon.

The American actress and filmmaker has a collection of glittering awards to rival the All England Club’s trophy display: two Academy Awards, three BAFTAs, four Golden Globes, a Primetime Emmy, and many more.

As a victim of crime (The Accused) or a detective dealing with a psychopath (Silence of the Lambs), Foster’s gritty roles have never shied away from the darker side of human nature. Her most recent accolade, however, came from a role in Nyad, the rousing story of a 60-something long-distance swimming champ fulfilling a near-impossible quest.

The film ends with a line that translates well for today’s Centre Court protagonists: "One, never, ever give up [Hello, Cam Norrie]. Two, you're never too old to chase your dreams [This one’s for you, Laura Siegemund]. And three, it may look like a solitary sport… but it takes a team."

The No.1 seed, Aryna Sabalenka, is no stranger to the twists and turns of the unscripted drama that is Grand Slam tennis, and took to the court to face 37-year-old Siegemund with a repertoire for her own brand of spectacular, having recently immersed herself in a book called Into the Magic Shop: A Neurosurgeon's Quest to Discover the Mysteries of the Brain and the Secrets of the Heart.

Other garlanded performers who can scale emotions included actress, children’s TV presenter, author and Chair of the Windrush Commemoration Committee, Baroness Benjamin of Beckenham, and the mezzo-soprano Katherine Jenkins.

Sir Jeremy Hunt, Culture Secretary during the London Olympic Games, Foreign Secretary (2018-19) and Chancellor of the Exchequer (2022-24) was on hand to bridge the gap between politics, the arts and sport and no doubt had plenty to chat about with world affairs journalists Katty Kay, who hosts the US edition of The Rest is Politics podcast, and Robert Peston, political editor of ITV News.

“Slow and steady wins the race,” said Grand National and Cheltenham Gold Cup-winning jockey Rachael Blackmore never, but that was a mindset that helped fellow Royal Box invitee David Gower amass high scores from long innings.

And that will be the dogged Cameron Norrie’s approach in his attempt to oust reigning champion Carlos Alcaraz.

The British challenger is playing with great self-belief. It’s as if he is inspired – and how could he not be given the Royal Box panel? – by the line from Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure: “Our doubts are traitors and make us lose the good we oft might win, by fearing to attempt."

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