Post by Admin on Jul 2, 2019 10:12:40 GMT -4
Duchess of Cambridge swaps Wimbledon Royal Box for Court 14 to cheer on British wildcard
The Duchess of Cambridge has swapped the Royal Box for a low-key seat on the Wimbledon outer courts, as she lends her support to British wildcard player Harriet Dart.
The Duchess, who is patron of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, will spend the day at Wimbledon meeting players and watching the second day of action.
Expected to sit in the centre court Royal Box as usual for the most high profile matches of the day, she surprised ticket-holders on Court 14 this morning to watch Dart play American Christina McHale.
She was accompanied by players Anne Keothavong and Katie Boulter, joined by a small number of staff and security in the ordinary seats in Wimbledon's outer courts.
The Duchess is a regular at Wimbledon, usually joined by members of both the Royal Family and the Middletons throughout the fortnight.
She has previously spoken of queuing up for tickets as a young woman, finally getting in late in the day to soak up the "special" atmosphere of Henman Hill and the ground courts.
The Duchess of Cambridge left Court 14 after watching British player Harriet Dart lose her first set.
Asked if she had enjoyed the tennis, she said: "Very much so."
The Duchess is expected to take her seat in the royal box later on Tuesday, which usually features famous faces and celebrity fans of the sport.
She will also be touring the grounds, visiting a number of courts throughout the day.
A spokeswoman for the All England Club said: "We are delighted that the duchess in her capacity as Patron of the AELTC was keen to see the full breadth of The Championships and we were pleased to facilitate a visit to watch play on the outside courts and to watch practice at Aorangi Park."
Last year, the Duchess joined a tennis training session at a primary school in Mitcham, south London, and joked at the time how she was less "sporty" now she has children.
The youngsters at Bond Primary were receiving training sessions under the Wimbledon Junior Tennis Initiative - the outreach programme of the All England Club.
The Duchess told the children: "I love tennis, I think it's a great sport. I was really sporty when I was little, less so now that I've got lots of babies."
She has been a regular guest at Wimbledon since making her first visit as a member of the royal family in 2011.
Dart, 22, is ranked 157th in the world and is a Wimbledon wildcard entry.
She is one of eight British players at the tournament today, with Johanna Konta due on No 1 court later to play Romanian Ana Bogdan.
Elsewhere, Katie Swan will be playing against Germany's Laura Siegemund on Court 12, and Dan Evans starts his Wimbledon against Argentinian Federico Delbonis on Court 18.
Nineteen-year-old wild card Paul Jubb, who was raised by his grandmother on a Hull council estate, will play Joao Sousa from Portugal.
The Duchess of Cambridge has swapped the Royal Box for a low-key seat on the Wimbledon outer courts, as she lends her support to British wildcard player Harriet Dart.
The Duchess, who is patron of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, will spend the day at Wimbledon meeting players and watching the second day of action.
Expected to sit in the centre court Royal Box as usual for the most high profile matches of the day, she surprised ticket-holders on Court 14 this morning to watch Dart play American Christina McHale.
She was accompanied by players Anne Keothavong and Katie Boulter, joined by a small number of staff and security in the ordinary seats in Wimbledon's outer courts.
The Duchess is a regular at Wimbledon, usually joined by members of both the Royal Family and the Middletons throughout the fortnight.
She has previously spoken of queuing up for tickets as a young woman, finally getting in late in the day to soak up the "special" atmosphere of Henman Hill and the ground courts.
The Duchess of Cambridge left Court 14 after watching British player Harriet Dart lose her first set.
Asked if she had enjoyed the tennis, she said: "Very much so."
The Duchess is expected to take her seat in the royal box later on Tuesday, which usually features famous faces and celebrity fans of the sport.
She will also be touring the grounds, visiting a number of courts throughout the day.
A spokeswoman for the All England Club said: "We are delighted that the duchess in her capacity as Patron of the AELTC was keen to see the full breadth of The Championships and we were pleased to facilitate a visit to watch play on the outside courts and to watch practice at Aorangi Park."
Last year, the Duchess joined a tennis training session at a primary school in Mitcham, south London, and joked at the time how she was less "sporty" now she has children.
The youngsters at Bond Primary were receiving training sessions under the Wimbledon Junior Tennis Initiative - the outreach programme of the All England Club.
The Duchess told the children: "I love tennis, I think it's a great sport. I was really sporty when I was little, less so now that I've got lots of babies."
She has been a regular guest at Wimbledon since making her first visit as a member of the royal family in 2011.
Dart, 22, is ranked 157th in the world and is a Wimbledon wildcard entry.
She is one of eight British players at the tournament today, with Johanna Konta due on No 1 court later to play Romanian Ana Bogdan.
Elsewhere, Katie Swan will be playing against Germany's Laura Siegemund on Court 12, and Dan Evans starts his Wimbledon against Argentinian Federico Delbonis on Court 18.
Nineteen-year-old wild card Paul Jubb, who was raised by his grandmother on a Hull council estate, will play Joao Sousa from Portugal.