The England squad has a mountain to climb – or at least some serious altitude to conquer in Mexico City – if they’re to continue their quest to emulate England’s World Cup heroes of 1966.Captain and current hero of the hour Harry Kane will lead Thomas Tuchel’s squad out on the pitch against co-hosts Mexico at the fabled Azteca stadium in the early hours on Monday morning with England vying to get one round closer to lifting the biggest prize in football. The team’s wives and girlfriends – the WAGs – have very much been present in the stands during their group games and the nerve-jangling knock-out match against DR Congo on Wednesday. If England can do the unthinkable and end 60 years of hurt by winning the World Cup, a national party – and probably a spontaneous Bank Holiday the day after the final on July 19 – will almost certainly play out. A return to Kensington’s Royal Garden Hotel if England wins the World Cup? The West London property sits on the edge of Kensington Gardens – and was where Bobby Moore and the England squad celebrated their famous 1966 victory at Wembley The WAGs of 1966 pictured at the five-star hotel… but they were given a firm rebuttal when it came to attending the glitzy reception to celebrate the historic winWhat happened when the dream became a reality in 1966? England’s 4-2 victory over West Germany at Wembley, in front of a 93,000-strong crowd, sparked jubilation across the country. In London, the squad’s heroes, including Bobby Moore, Geoff Hurst, Jack Charlton, Gordon Banks and Roger Hunt, were whisked to the Royal Garden Hotel in Kensington, just hours after they’d picked up the Jules Rimet trophy on July 30, 1966.The hotel, which had reopened after a major refurbishment in 1965, had already hosted the 1966 World Cup draw so seemed like a natural venue. On that victorious Sunday, the England players memorably waved to fans packed on Kensington High Street after their famous win before heading inside for a glittering reception – which the WAGs, it was made very clear, weren’t invited to. Thousands gathered to greet the England players following the historic victory – and 60 years on the hotel remains Sixty years on, the number 49 bus still runs past the historic London hotel. Pictured: Fans gathered outside the Royal Garden Hotel in Kensington in July 1966Celebrations on that historic Saturday night at the end of July were entirely segregated with the WAGs – then exclusively wives, with just one fiancée in the mix – asked to dine away from their husbands in a chophouse restaurant.An ensuing photograph shows the wives gathered, a vision of beehives and glamorous dresses, but there isn’t an England footballer in sight in the image.The squad had been whisked downstairs to a glittering reception in the Palace Suite hosted by the Football Association and Prime Minister Harold Wilson. For the wives, the message was clear – no player plus-ones were allowed. ‘No one wanted to be pushy’: Nobby Stiles’ wife, Kay, reflected afterwards that the Football Association had been chauvinistic in banning the WAGs from the party The wives of Bobby Moore, Martin Peters, Geoff Hurst, Ron Springett and Peter Bonetti pictured during their separate dinner in the Royal Garden Hotel on July 31, 1966Nobby Stiles’ wife, Kay, then 24 and mother to a six-week-old son whom she’d left at home with family in Dublin, said afterwards that the ‘best day of our lives’ had been tempered by FA chauvinism. Mrs Stiles revealed to the Daily Mail in 2016: ‘They allowed some women to the banquet, but not us. We had to sit by ourselves with some man from the FA. ‘I still have no idea who he was. If just one of us had been brave enough to say “this isn’t right”, we’d all have backed her up. But times were different then. No one wanted to be pushy.’A spokesman for the hotel this week told the Daily Mail that while there’s no plans to turn the Palace Suite into a museum room dedicated to the 1966 heroes, it does get plenty of attention from guests – and will remain just as it did 60 years ago. The hotel is currently serving a The Beautiful Game afternoon tea in honour of its regal footballing historyThey said: ‘The reception took place in the Palace Suite, our hotel ballroom. It is still a very much remembered event of our hotel and clients do ask about the World Cup victory celebrations back then. ‘Last month we hosted a World Cup-related client event and we were so glad to welcome Sir Geoff Hurst back to the hotel.’Meanwhile, the chophouse where the WAGs dined has changed lots of times over the decades and is currently Origin Kensington, a modern British restaurant located on the ground floor of the hotel. The England footballers aren’t the only famous faces to stay in the Kensington hotel, which is now owned by the Goodwood Group, and sits right next to regal Kensington Gardens.The Beatles, Mick Jagger, Elton John, Johnny Cash and Bob Dylan have all checked in, as well as ABBA, Michael Caine, Matt LeBlanc, and Dustin Hoffman.When Justin Bieber stayed in 2012, the property fielded 20,000 phone calls from fans.The property has also often been used by FA Cup finalists and sides who have travelled from across the world to face Premier League champions Chelsea. A month after the World Cup final, Sonny and Cher were guests at the hotel (Pictured in August 1966) Paul McCartney pictured at a press conference to promote Leicester University’s arts festival at the Royal Garden Hotel in London on February 5, 1968 Well, it was next door! The Prince and Princess of Wales, who resided at Kensington Palace, just a few hundred metres from the hotel – pictured in 2014 with the then President of Singapore, Tony Tan Keng Yam and his wife Mary A stone’s throw from Kensington Palace; the hotel remains a favourite with tourists visiting the capital Rugby squads, including New Zealand, Australia and South Africa have all chosen to stay in Kensington ahead of matches against England at Twickenham Stadium.And the same goes for cricket, with the hotel often hosting visiting international teams when they are playing at Lord’s or The Oval. It was also the base for Australia when they won the 1999 World Cup, and was the home for several teams during the Champions Trophy in both 2004 and 2013.Last year, there were some more heavyweight guests checking in, when many of the stars of The Grand Sumo Event, which took place in October at the nearby Royal Albert Hall, chose to stay at the property. What tourists get in 2026: A double room overlooking Kensington Gardens, rooms start from around £168 The hotel pictured this week – will it be able to host another England World Cup party in a few weeks’ time? This summer, 60 years on from its World Cup party, the Royal Garden Hotel is still tourist central too, with travellers to the capital choosing the hotel for its close proximity to Kensington Palace, the Royal Albert Hall and Hyde Park – with Knightsbridge, Piccadilly, Leicester Square and Covent Garden just a short bus ride away. Recent TripAdvisor reviews of stays in the property suggest the service is just as refined as it once was. One person wrote of their stay this month: ‘An A+ experience from the moment we arrived….staff couldn’t have been more welcoming. The room was spotless, the linens beautifully appointed and the view over Hyde Park, stunning. You will not be disappointed.’Here’s hoping there’s another chapter in the Royal Garden Hotel’s World Cup book incoming… Double rooms start from £168.The Beautiful Game Afternoon Tea is available from 11th June to 19th July 2026, from £45 for adults, £25 for children, royalgardenhotel.co.uk