The Start of the Royal Family’s Link to Wimbledon
The Royal Family has long been associated with the Wimbledon tennis championships, with the Princess of Wales, Princess Beatrice and others often photographed in the Royal Box. But when did this link begin? In fact, it was more than a century ago that the first member of the Royal Family attended the famous tennis competition, when then Prince of Wales (the future King George V) and his wife, Princess Mary, attended the 1907 matches.
The Royal Box and the Royal Family’s Involvement
The future king had been invited to attend and present the trophy to the winner by his childhood friend, George Hillyard, who was the new secretary of the Wimbledon Club. He also asked the Royal to become patron of the All England Club, a tradition which continues to this day, with the current Princess of Wales holding the title. Previously, Queen Elizabeth II had held the title from 1952 to 2016, retiring on her 90th birthday. In the meantime, Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, cousin of Queen Elizabeth II, has been president of the All England Club for more than 50 years, until he stepped down in 2021.
The Royal Box, added to Centre Court in 1922, has a capacity of 80 seats. Since then, it has hosted numerous royals, from Princess Margaret to Diana, Princess of Wales, who brought a young Prince William with her in the 90s; up to foreign dignitaries, movie stars (Bradley Cooper and Gerard Butler famously stole the show when they attended in 2013) and members of the Royal circle, such as the Middletons. The Princess of Wales, a great tennis enthusiast and able player, is a regular fixture, and was famously joined by her sister-in-law, the Duchess of Sussex, before her move to California.
The Royal Family’s Involvement in Tennis
The Duke of York (later King George VI) in action at Wimbledon The Royal Family does not just watch tennis, but has also taken part in it. The father of Queen Elizabeth II, the future King George VI but then Prince Albert, Duke of York, played in the men’s doubles tournament together with his friend Group Captain Sir Louis Leisler Greig. Unfortunately, they did not go very far in the competition.
