The History of the Royal Family at Wimbledon
A look at when they first got involved with the ‘quintessential’ British tennis tournament, why Kate loves it so much, and fantastic photographs of royals through the years.
Welcome to So Many Thoughts, a semi-weekly newsletter about royal style and the other parts of life I want to think through with you. You can subscribe here and follow me on Instagram at @EHolmes. Thank you!
Did you know that the Queen doesn’t attend Wimbledon regularly? Her Majesty last appeared at the famous British tennis tournament in 2010; before that, it had been 33 years since she was spotted in the stands.
Current royal watchers recognize Wimbledon as a highlight on the summer calendar, with all eyes focused on the front row of the Royal Box. But I was surprised to learn the royal family’s appearances at Wimbledon have ebbed and flowed over the last century. With the finals slated for this weekend, I thought a little history was in order! First you’ll find some context, followed by some fantastic photos. Come for Princess Margaret smoking, stay for Kate doing the wave.
Wimbledon and the House of Windsor
Just how long have the Windsors been involved with Wimbledon? Since before they were Windsors. Back in 1907, the Prince of Wales (who would go on to become King George V) first attended the tennis tournament with his wife, Princess Mary. George Hillyard, a childhood friend of the prince’s, had become the secretary for the Wimbledon Club and invited the heir to the throne to join him. Time magazine has more:
“On the day of the tournament, Hillyard asked Prince George to serve as the president of the All England Club and to present the trophy to winners, according to [author Bruce] Tarran. Three years later, in 1910, the Prince of Wales became King George V, earning a new role as the Patron of the All England Club —‘instituting a tradition maintained by succeeding Monarchs to the present day,’ Tarran writes. Members of the royal family have served as Patron of the All England Club ever since.”
Nearly two decades later, the King’s second son, Prince Albert (the current Queen’s father, who was then the Duke of York) became the first—and so far, only—member of the royal family to enter the tournament. In 1926, he played doubles with his equerry; they were eliminated in the first round, according to Vogue.
Queen Elizabeth II does not seem to have inherited her father’s enthusiasm for the sport. Although she holds the honor of the longest-serving patron of the All England Club, having received the title when she took to the throne in 1952, she has been seen there only rarely. The face of the family’s involvement has been the Queen’s first cousin, Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, who became president of the club in 1969. He regularly hands out the trophies these days.
The Queen’s children and their families have been similarly sporadic in their attendance. Princess Diana attended on several occasions—and even brought a young Prince William with her! But Prince Charles rarely appears. Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, first went in her pre-royal days and a few more times after joining the family; however Prince Harry has not been spotted there (or at least not by press photographers).
If there was a competition for the biggest Wimbledon fan, the trophy would have to go to the Duchess of Cambridge. Kate has been a regular attendee at the tournament for more than a decade, snapped by press photographers as early as 2007. Since joining the royal family in 2011, the duchess's attendance—or, as was the case in 2013, her absence—always makes headlines.
“I was very heavily pregnant with George so I wasn’t able to turn up,” she said during an interview for the 2017 BBC documentary of her rare absence. The duchess went so far as to press her doctors by saying “Maybe I could go?” to which they responded with a rather firm: “Definitely not.”
So what is that Kate loves about Wimbledon so much? She explained in that same interview it was “very much part of my growing up” and called it a “quintessential part of the English summer.” She also said Wimbledon has inspired her to get involved in tennis, adding, ”It hasn’t changed either, I think that's what's so wonderful.”
The Queen clearly recognizes Kate’s commitment. Her Majesty handed her patronage down to Kate in 2016. The duchess now typically sits in the front row of the Royal Box, which Time magazine says can seat up to 80 people and “has featured guests from the rest of the British royal family, world leaders, royals from other nations, British armed forces and press to friends of the family.”
But mostly: I think what makes Kate’s presence so exciting is her visible enthusiasm for the sport. Unlike so many royal engagements, which are (understandably) carefully choreographed, watching Kate watch tennis is as real as it gets. You might say I love-love to see it.
I had a wonderful time combing through the Getty archives for photos of the royal family at Wimbledon throughout the years. Do you have a favorite royal Wimbledon moment? Please hit “Join the discussion” at the bottom of this email and leave a comment on this newsletter.
(All photographs via Getty Images)
1926 — Queen Elizabeth II’s father, the future King George VI, playing in Wimbledon when he was the Duke of York. I wish I could comment on his form but I am too focused on those perfectly pleated and pressed trousers.
1957 — Queen Elizabeth II made her first appearance at Wimbledon five years after becoming patron of the All England Club, presenting Althea Gibson with the gold salver after the ladies’ singles final. It’s the handbag for me.
1965 — A slight digression but Princess Margaret, FROW with sunnies and a cigarette, is an entire mood.
1981 — Just weeks before her history-making wedding, Lady Diana Spencer attended Wimbledon alongside Princess Grace of Monaco.
1991 — A young Prince William attending the women’s singles finals with Princess Diana gives me hope that we will spot George next to Kate before too long!
2007 — Speaking of Kate! Kate Middleton was spotted in the crowds of the men’s singles third-round match, identified as “girlfriend of Prince William (L).” It’s the parenthetical L for me.
2010 — The Queen makes a rare appearance at the tournament, her first in 33 years. Hat and all!
2011 — How do you know a true fan? A true fan does the wave, even on her very first official Wimbledon appearance and especially if that means embarrassing one’s new prince of a husband.
2016 — Meeeeep! Meghan Markle was snapped under the “Celebrities Attend Wimbledon” group of photographs on Day Two of the tournament. If legend is to be believed, it was on this trip that she met Prince Harry.
2019 — A winning smile! Kate, a few years into her role as patron of the All England Club, presented her first Wimbledon trophy following the men’s singles finals.
2022 — They just look like they’re having so much fun, don’t they? We should see Kate at the ladies’ singles finals on Saturday and the Cambridges together at the men’s singles finals on Sunday.
Thank you for subscribing to the So Many Thoughts newsletter! Like what you’re reading? Please forward to a friend! You can also join the fun on Instagram at @EHolmes and find my New York Times bestseller, HRH: So Many Thoughts on Royal Style, wherever you get your books.