Wimbledon 2021: Duchess of Cambridge joins Duke of Kent in Royal Box

Kate has been a patron of the All England Tennis Club since 2016 and attends Wimbledon every year

Saman Javed
Friday 02 July 2021 11:56 EDT
Comments
The Duchess of Cambridge and the Duke of Kent
The Duchess of Cambridge and the Duke of Kent (PA)

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

The Duchess of Cambridge joined the Duke of Kent in the Royal Box to watch Andy Murray take on Denis Shapovalov at Wimbledon on Friday.

The match marked the Duke of Kent’s third visit to the 2021 tournament, while it was Kate’s first appearance.

The duchess arrived in a pleated, mid-length navy blue and white polka dot skirt by London-based designer Alessandra Rich, which she paired with a white crewneck top and navy blue blazer.

She accessorised the look with pearl earrings and a white Mulberry “Amberley” bag.

The duchess chose to wear British designers for the outing
The duchess chose to wear British designers for the outing (WireImage)

Taking her place on Centre Court, Kate looked in good spirits as she smiled and laughed while talking to the duke. She was also spotted speaking with fitness coach Joe Wicks.

On Centre Court, the Royal Box has 74 seats that are reserved for the royal family and invited guests of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, of which the duchess has been a patron since 2016.

The duke has been president of the club since 1969 and presents the winners’ trophies to the champions at the end of each year’s tournament.

Ahead of her appearance in the Royal Box, Kate visited the club’s kitchens, where she helped executive chef Adam Fargin hull strawberries as he prepared desserts for guests.

She was later seen at the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Museum, which was opened by the Duke of Kent in 2006. Stopping to look at a portrait of Andy Murray by artist Maggi Hambling, Kate said: “I love it. It has a lot of movement, it is very pretty.”

Kate, who has been a keen tennis fan for years, previously arranged for her eldest son, Prince George, to receive lessons from Swiss tennis legend Roger Federer.

During an interview at the Wimbledon tournament in 2019, Federer said he had visited Kate’s parents’ home in Berkshire to coach George, who was five years old at the time.

“At that stage, it’s all about just touch the ball, it’s already good,” Federer said, according to Reuters.

“He’s a cute boy. I love to see that they’re into tennis or into sports. His mum has always enjoyed her tennis,” he said of Kate and George.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in