Virginia Wade recalls how Queen Elizabeth II had ‘Roger Federer entranced’ at Wimbledon lunch in 2010

Wimbledon 1977 was a special occasion for Virginia Wade. Not only did she win her home Grand Slam for the first time in its centenary year, but she was presented with the trophy on Centre Court by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

Ahead of the Queen’s funeral on Monday, Wade has recalled her first experience of meeting Her Majesty, how she helped inspire her to victory that year, how the Queen left Roger Federer “entranced” when they had lunch together at Wimbledon 2010, and how the Queen had a “twinkle that lights up the world”…

Wade was speaking as part of Eurosport’s special commemorative show, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, which airs on Monday at 7pm.

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The Queen was always part of my life when I was growing up. She was always there – our Queen

She will always be the Queen, we will never stop talking about her. We will always be telling stories from everyone who ever met her. Always in my upbringing and as I grew up she was there, she was the ultimate. She was this magnificent person and you really did bow down in deference and appreciation of her.

When I won Wimbledon in 1977 you had to sign an entry form to register. I did that about six weeks before the tournament started and it went through my mind as I signed it that I have never really fulfilled my promise at Wimbledon, I have managed to win other Grand Slams and I haven’t come close yet at Wimbledon and I felt ready to do it but time is running out.

A few days later I found out the Queen was going to be there on ladies’ final day so I thought that’s my inspiration and determination. She’s going to be there and I thought I better win because I might not have another chance! It ended up being a fairytale coming true, it ended up being destiny at a special Wimbledon, the centenary, the Queen there on Friday, July 1 for the ladies’ final, not for the men’s final, and I won.

I played my best match ever I think in the semi-finals against Chris Evert and in the final the whole world was watching, kids were let off school to watch and everything went according to plan. I think the Queen has that effect.

After you win it’s all this emotion and commotion and noise and celebration and they started singing and clapping, you can’t hear a thing. Then you realise the Queen is there and is coming down and you are watching and loving every minute and she shook my hand and I curtsied and she said something like ‘congratulations’ or ‘well done’ or whatever, but I couldn’t hear her. I had to be very polite, I couldn’t ask her to repeat herself, so I assumed she said congratulations. She took one step to the side and I held up that amazing trophy.

I saw her later at a Lawn Tennis Association event and I said thank you for being my inspiration to win that.

The next time she came to Wimbledon was in 2010 and there was a very select group of us sitting at lunch with her.

There were three Wimbledon ladies’ champions and Roger Federer and his wife. Roger was on the Queen’s right and I was on the left.

Everybody had big eyes but it was wonderful to see Federer so entranced by what she was saying. We all had this really in-depth, diverse conversation and she knew all about how tennis was going. She knew all about Roger, and I think she knew about me.

She was just about to go to New York to make a speech at the UN and I think she said the last time she had given a speech was in her early 20’s so it was quite an undertaking and she was still debating what she was going to talk about, so we were talking about things that were going on in the world that were important. It was very easy and comfortable and a really special situation.

I know having the Queen at Wimbledon and having the Royal Family there added that extra lustre to the tournament. Everybody would say ‘look who’s in the Royal Box’. It adds that extra element of flair and lustre, it’s special and makes it stand out from other events around the world. To have the Queen in attendance makes it unique.

It’s hard to sum up what the Queen means to you, she has been such an eternal figure of respect and professionalism. The way she was so dedicated and has done everything with love. She makes you feel special, anybody she speaks to for one minute she will make feel special. That incredible twinkle in her eyes. You see the incredible pictures and she is smiling. She has a twinkle that lights up the world.