The Princess of Wales and Wimbledon seem to be almost synonymous with each other. As an avid tennis fan and patron of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, the royal is frequently seen at the tournament. And, of course, she is always dressed to impress.
Kate’s first appearance at Wimbledon as a member of the royal family was no exception.
Back in June 2011, the recently-married William and Kate took to the royal box on Centre Court to watch the fourth round match between Great Britain’s Andy Murray and France’s Richard Gasquet.
Kate stunned the crowds in a white tiered dress by Temperley London, featuring hand-embroidered straps and a floaty, ruffled skirt.
She paired the dress with nude heels and a Stuart Weitzman clutch, also in nude, creating an effortlessly stylish and put-together look.
© Getty ImagesThe colour choice could have been a nod to her recent marriage, emulating the bridal white of the beautiful Alexander McQueen dress that she wore to marry the then-Duke of Cambridge at Westminster Abbey in April of that year. That dress came with an incredible nine-foot-long train and a tiara made up of 888 diamonds.
© GettyThe outfit also drew inspiration from the classic tennis whites worn by players at Wimbledon, with the tennis-loving Duchess paying homage to the stars on the court.
The Princess has been a fan of the sport since childhood, with the royal telling Sue Barker on a 2017 BBC documentary: “I have watched Wimbledon, that was very much part of my growing up. It’s such a quintessential part of the English summer, and I think it really inspires youngsters, myself, it inspired me when I was younger to get involved in the game. It hasn’t changed either, I think that’s what’s so wonderful.”
We don’t yet know if we’ll be seeing the Princess in the royal box this year, as she gradually returns to public duties following her recent cancer treatment. However, if she does return, we can certainly expect some wonderful outfits from her.
Wimbledon: 5 surprising facts
© AFP via Getty Images1. A lot of tennis balls
Throughout the tournaments, Wimbledon goes through over 50,000 tennis balls! After the first seven games, the balls are replaced and refrigerated to maintain bounce.
2. Strawberries and cream
Tennis and strawberries are never apart throughout Wimbledon, and in fact, they only get the fruit from one supplier. Last year, Hugh Lowe Farm in Kent provided around 1.5 million strawberries over the two-week tournament.
3. Rufus the Hawk
Rufus, the hawk, has been the protector of the Wimbledon courts for the past ten years. He flies above the grounds in the early AM to chase away any pigeons to maintain a pristine court condition.
4. Prize money
The winners of the ladies’ and gentlemen’s singles championships will each receive £2.2 million. Additionally, the winners of every round will also receive money, ranging from £1500 for the winner of the first round of mixed doubles, up to £1.1 million for the runner-up in the final.
5. Longest match in history
In June 2010, John Isner and Nicolas Mahut battled for 11 hours and 5 minutes over three days, with the longest match in professional tennis history. The match totalled 183 games, and John eventually won 70-68.
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