Meghan vs Kate: Royal watchers big losers in Wimbledon cancellation
It might be the home of tennis but there’s always another gripping game playing out courtside at Wimbledon. We take a look back at some of the most talked about moments involving the royals at the tennis.
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There are no queues, no strawberries, no crowds and no royals. As Wimbledon lays quiet for the first time since World War II, due to lockdown, its patron Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, put out a touching video this week.
“You have always been there, come rain or shine,” she says.
“This year, sadly though, things are very different. But we will bide our time until we sit on the edge of our seats again and celebrate.
“So when the time is right and we open the gates, we will be back again and it will have been worth the wait.”
Catherine’s love for tennis is well-known and she is a fixture at the tournament.
“It’s been very much part of my family growing up,” she said.
Prince George has also taken to the sport and even had lessons from Roger Federer.
The Queen, who was patron before passing it on to Catherine in 2016, is less enthusiastic.
Preferring horses to tennis, she has only attended four times. But the tournament has been associated with the Royal Family since 1907 – the Queen’s father, the then Prince Albert, even competed in 1926, in a doubles match in 1926 with Wing Commander Louis Greig. They lost.
And even though her Majesty gives it a miss, the Royal Box has been full of family members over the years, including Princess Margaret, the Duke and Duchess of Kent, Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, Diana, Princess of Wales and now, Prince William and Catherine. The latter have revived it with their enthusiasm and friends.
Seating 74 people, it’s open to the Royal Family and their guests as well as star tennis players, politicians and celebrities, invited by the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club. It’s also been the scene of some memorable moments. We remember some of the most talked about:
1926: Prince Albert competes at Wimbledon
Royals didn’t always sit in the Royal Box – The Queen’s father, Prince Albert, actually competed in a doubles match in 1926 with Wing Commander Louis Greig. They lost.
1962: The Queen presents the men’s singles trophy to Rod Laver
Lucky for Rod Laver — who won Wimbledon four times — one of the finals the Queen did turn up for included when he beat fellow Aussie Martin Mulligan in 1962. And last year, Rod was presented with a replica trophy at Wimbledon for the 50th anniversary of his 1969 Calendar Grand Slam achievement.
1965: Princess Margaret’s signature style
Before Catherine, Meghan and even Diana, the Queen’s younger sister Margaret dominated the headlines, for everything from her fashion sense to her dramatic love life. She was also a regular at Wimbledon — complete with her trademark cigarette holder, as she watched the
all-Aussie men’s singles final in 1965 when Roy Emerson beat Fred Stolle. That year centre court was dominated by Australians — Margaret Smith won the women’s singles, John Newcombe and Tony Roche won the all-Aussie men’s doubles and Ken Fletcher and Margaret Smith took the all-Aussie mixed doubles.
1987: Diana is there for Pat Cash’s legendary climb
Diana, Princess of Wales, was front row in 1987 for the men’s singles final between Pat Cash and Ivan Lendl – the year Cash did his legendary Championship Climb through the stands and began a tradition. “There was a guy dressed as a priest” the Aussie champion later revealed, “and he said, ‘stand on my shoulder, my son’.”
1993: The Duchess of Kent hugs a weeping Jana Novotna
When Katharine, Duchess of Kent gave Jana Novotna her runner-up plate in 1993, the Czech player broke down in tears after losing to Steffi Graf and the Duchess gave her a comforting hug. “I just remember from the far side of the net, her face crumpled,” she later told the BBC. As to her hug, she said, “That’s what you do when people are crying.”
1991 & 94: Diana takes Prince William to watch Steffi Graf
Diana was a regular at Wimbledon and in 1991 she took her nine-year-old son William to watch the women’s final where Steffi Graf defeated Gabriela Sabatini. Andrew Morton later reported the pair went to the dressing room to congratulate Steffi and both gave her a hug and kiss. William was also by his mother’s side for the Ladies Singles Final in 1994.
2010: The Queen’s last visit
It was big news when The Queen turned up to Wimbledon in 2010 — she hadn’t been for 33 years. She met star players from the past and present including Martina Navratilova and Billie Jean King, Serena and Venus Williams, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic, as well as Andy Murray, who went on to beat Jarkko Nieminen.
2011: Kate and William do the Mexican wave
The beaming newlyweds charmed Wimbledon in 2011 when Kate encouraged a clearly embarrassed Wills to join in with the Mexican wave. He might be the future king, but she became the queen of Centre Court that day.
2018: Catherine and Meghan play doubles
Catherine and newlywed Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, looked happy and relaxed as they watched Meghan’s friend Serena Williams get defeated by Angelique Kerber in the women’s finals in 2018. They whispered and giggled in the front row — with little sign of any of the problems that were to ensue.
2019: Meghan doesn’t want to play
When Meghan went to watch Serena Williams play last year, the carefree newlywed had vanished and a jeans-clad duchess was in her place, saying she was there off-duty and didn’t want anyone to take photos. By the end of the year, she and Prince Harry had resigned from the Royal Family.
Originally published as Meghan vs Kate: Royal watchers big losers in Wimbledon cancellation