Rare large format 6.25 x 5.5 ticket stub for the infamous appearance of the Beatles at the Prince of Wales Theatre in London on November 4, 1963, for a royal variety performance before Queen Elizabeth and the Queen Mother. In very good condition, with intersecting folds, a diagonal crease, and ink notations to reverse. Accompanied by a certificate of authenticity from Tracks.
The band's selection as part of the Royal Variety Performance did much to propel Beatlemania across the whole of England. The group performed four songs—'From Me To You,' 'She Loves You,' 'Till There Was You,' and 'Twist and Shout'—and when ITV broadcasted the show a week later on November 10, an estimated 21 million people tuned in. This was also the event where John Lennon took a jab at the Crown with his famous bit of stage banter: ‘For our last number I'd like to ask your help. The people in the cheaper seats clap your hands. And the rest of you, if you'd just rattle your jewelry.’ This ticket was for one of the expensive seats in the 'dress circle,' and cost nearly as much as the average weekly pay in Great Britain at the time. A superb piece from one of the earliest Beatles controversies.
