Princess of Wales surprises tennis fans at front of Wimbledon queue
Tennis fans, who waited in line for hours for Wimbledon tickets, received a pleasant surprise on Thursday morning.
The Princess of Wales greeted hopeful attendees at the front of the queue and joined staff to take payment and distribute tickets.
Kate Middleton, who is patron of the All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC), wore a blue linen suit as she spoke to tournament fans who lined up from 4am to attend the championships.
The princess told two tennis fans to “have a good time” as she handed them tickets. He was seen smiling and laughing as he greeted visitors in the queue and took photos with them.
Onlookers stopped to take photos when Kate entered the grounds of the famous gym.
One attendee congratulated the princess on her latest Three Peaks challenge.
Kate also spoke to honorary stewards who volunteer to manage the busy queue each year.
He then sat down on Court 18 to watch British wildcard Arthur Fery, sitting next to British former professional tennis player Tim Henman and AELTC president Debbie Jevans.
The Princess is a patron of the AELTC and regularly attends Wimbledon.
He presented the men’s trophy to world number one Jannik Sinner after watching last year’s singles final played on Center Court with the Prince of Wales.
The princess was diagnosed with cancer in 2024 and made her second public appearance after her diagnosis at that year’s championship.
He was greeted with cheers and applause as he and Princess Charlotte sat in the front row of the royal box in Center Court.
At the beginning of 2025, he confirmed that he had recovered from the disease.
After entering the field, Kate was greeted with applause and cheers as she passed Henman Hill. The princess waved to the audience.
He then entered Court 18 to watch Briton Arthur Fery’s second round match against Finnish Otto Virtanen.
