The Royal Connection at Wimbledon
What better place to hold court?
A grand, annual royal tradition is underway in London: Wimbledon, the oldest tennis tournament in the world. The crown jewel of sports championships is also one that falls squarely under the official patronage of the British monarchy.
Royal watchers today most associate the Championships with Catherine, Princess of Wales, who has patronized the All-England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club (the venue that hosts Wimbledon) since 2016. And since she married into the royal family in 2011, there’s hardly been a Wimbledon tournament without an appearance (or three) by Kate. The only summer without a Kate appearance was in 2013, when she was just weeks away from giving birth to Prince George.
Before Kate came around, though, the patronage was held by Queen Elizabeth II for 64 years—although the monarch herself was rarely spotted in the Royal Box.
Queen Elizabeth only attended the tournament 4 times during her reign—and her final two appearances at Wimbledon were a staggering 33 years apart. The last of them took place in 2010, indicating that the late monarch preferred to allow family members with a bit more enthusiasm for human (rather than equine) sports to attend in her place. This paved the way for Diana, Princess of Wales, to become synonymous with Royal attendance at Wimbledon—before the official patronage was officially handed off to Kate.
An “avid sports fan and a mainstay at the famed tennis tournament throughout the ’80s and ’90s,” Diana was equally as renowned for her preppy courtside style as for her enthusiasm during a match.
The next generation has only recently been introduced to the magic of the Grand Slam Tournament: Prince George made his Wimbledon debut in 2022 at the Men’s Singles Finals. Princess Charlotte would make her first appearance the following year.
Wimbledon was also chosen as the ideal location to integrate new royals into the fold. In 2018, newlywed Meghan Markle accompanied Kate to their seats in the Royal Box for the first time—sparking short-lived hopes for a breath of fresh air to what had become a predictable annual agenda for the Monarchy.
This year’s royal roster
With The Princess of Wales releasing a statement in June (ahead of her surprise appearance at Trooping the Color) suggesting that she could begin to undertake some light public duties this summer, royal watchers (myself included) have speculated that this could include a Wimbledon appearance. Such a standardized, safe engagement would provide the perfect backdrop to Kate’s gradual return to public life in the midst of her cancer treatment…so long as her doctors advise that she’s cleared to do so.
As week two of the tournament dawns, however, we have yet to spot Kate taking her place in the Royal Box—although she typically saves her appearances for the final few days of the matches and often hands out prizes to the victors.
This year, Kate did send a congratulatory message to Andy Murray, the first male British tennis player to win the Grand Slam in almost 80 years. Murray played one of his final Wimbledon matches on Friday, July 5, and his farewell message from royalty (shared to Will and Kate’s shared social media accounts) read: “An incredible Wimbledon career comes to an end. You should be so very proud @andymurray. On behalf of all of us, thank you! C"
But the first British Royal to actually make an appearance at Wimbledon in 2024 wasn’t the glamourous Kate—nor any perfectly polished princess—it was royal cousin, Lord Frederick Windsor.
Another appearance, on Day Three, came from Brigitte, Duchess of Gloucester, a recent inductee into the Order of the Garter and the Honorary President of the Lawn Tennis Association (which actually organizes the Wimbeldon Tournament). She is also an Honorary Member of the All-England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club—probably why she is slated to attend again this week on Monday and Friday for the Semi-Finals.
The Royal Box doesn’t just play host to blue-bloods, though. On the same day as the Duchess of Gloucester’s first Wimbledon appearance this year, other attendees in the Box included Maria Sharapova and former Prime Minister Theresa May.
And on Thursday, July 4, Carole and Michael Middleton—the Princess of Wales' commoner parents—attended day four of Wimbledon, getting front-row seats in the Royal Box. They were also spotted on Day Two of the Royal Ascot races in Berkshire last month.
Outside of the British Royal fold, 2024 has so far seen just one foreign monarchy represented. Exiled Crown Prince Pavlos of Greece and Princess Maria-Olympia of Greece were spotted on Day One of the tournament—although they did not get seats in the Royal Box.
Why? Well, the 74 seats in the Royal Box are issued by invitation only and are not (as we’ve seen) exclusively reserved for royalty. The chairman of the AELTC distributes invites, with suggestions submitted by members of the Championships’ Organising Committee, the LTA, and “other sources,” according to PEOPLE. It’s possible that Pavlos and Maria-Olympia were attending of their own volition, not by direct invitation.
Tournament organizers reportedly remain “hopeful” that the Princess of Wales will continue her traditional appearances this year, and no doubt Kate has only to pick up the phone to secure her spot—front and center—in one of the coveted dark green wicker chairs of Wimbledon’s Royal Box.
I love Prince Pavlos beard! Future goals right there.