The Duchess of Cambridge has made a surprise appearance at Wimbledon, stepping out to watch a match on one of the outer courts.
Kate has been a patron of the All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC) since 2016, taking over the role of the Queen, and has been a regular at the tournament since before she became a royal.
The Duchess was accompanied by AELTC Chief Executive Sally Bolton and AELTC Committee Member and retired tennis player, Tim Henman, for the match.
Over the years she has been joined in the royal box by her husband, Prince William, as well as her sister-in-law, the Duchess of Sussex, and Kate’s sister, Pippa Middleton.
The royal mum-of-three looked effortlessly chic wearing a navy blazer, a white blouse and a polka dot skirt for her outing.
As Kate arrived, Wimbledon’s official Twitter account posted: “A warm welcome back to The Championships to HRH The Duchess of Cambridge.”
A closer look at Kate’s outfit for her day out at Wimbledon. As usual, the royal looked ultra-chic, wearing a pleated dotty midi skirt by Alessandra Rich, a navy blazer and a white tee.
She added her Simone Rocha pearl earrings, a pair of white heels and Mulberry’s ‘Amberley’ bag in white – a new designer purchase for the Duchess.
The Duchess takes her seat beside Sally Bolton and Tim Henman.
It’s been a week of sport for Kate as she joined William, and their eldest son, Prince George, to watch England win 2-0 against Germany at Wembley Stadium on Tuesday night.
Last year, the Duchess narrated a moving video for Wimbledon as the tennis tournament was cancelled amid the pandemic.
Kate looked absolutely delighted to be back at Wimbledon after the tournament’s cancellation last year.
William and Kate’s Twitter account shared a video of the Duchess’ arrival at the grounds and said: “With the tournament having to be cancelled last year, it’s amazing to see fans and players back inside these iconic grounds.”
After watching matches on one of the outer courts, Kate visited one of the kitchens on the grounds.
She spoke to Executive Chef Adam Fargin, who told her how the kitchen has been used by the AELTC over the past year to prepare and distribute 200 daily hot meals for the local community in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Kate then visited the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Museum where she viewed some of the displays, including a special exhibition on the Centenary of Centre Court.
The Museum, which was opened by the Duke of Kent, President of the AELTC, in 1977 is a tribute to the heritage of the game and the history of The Championships. This year, the Museum is accessible for free to Championships ticket-holders for the first time.
The Duchess demonstrated some of her athletic prowess, as she tested her reaction time in one interactive part of the exhibition.
