Prince George, who was eight years old at the time, had a unique and exciting experience last summer when he attended the Wimbledon tennis tournament in south London with his parents, the Prince and Princess of Wales.
It is unusual to see young children in the prestigious Royal Box at Wimbledon, but Prince George had the privilege of being there.
He had the pleasure of watching the men’s singles final between Novak Djokovic and Nick Kyrgios from the Centre Court.
Accompanied by his parents, Kate and William, he seemed to thoroughly enjoy the event. Photographs captured him enthusiastically waving to the crowd and showing intense engagement in the closely contested match, to the extent that he even covered his eyes with his hands at one point.
It is worth noting that it is a rare sight to have children seated in the Royal Box, as this privilege is typically reserved for royal children.
The rule regarding seating in the Royal Box is strictly enforced, and unless individuals are part of the royal family, children are not permitted to sit there in any situation.
This policy has caused discontent in previous instances, as reported in 1999 when the Duchess of Kent, who was an avid tennis enthusiast, expressed her disappointment.
She had requested permission from the All England Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club to invite a young companion to join her in the Royal Box at Wimbledon.
The 12-year-old boy in question was the son of a close friend of the Duchess, and she had intended to extend a warm gesture of royal hospitality to him.
Despite seats being available outside the royal box, the request made by the Duchess of Kent was denied in order to preserve the longstanding traditions of the renowned tennis event.
The club’s chairman at the time, John Curry, issued a statement expressing apologies to the Duchess while maintaining Wimbledon’s adherence to its rules.
The statement emphasized that the decision was not intended to cause any harm to her Royal Highness.
Due to the limited space in the royal box, the club enforced the rule that, apart from royal family members, children should not be invited.
This policy aimed to ensure that other deserving individuals, many of whom make significant contributions to tennis, would not be excluded from attending the event.
The current year’s Wimbledon commenced on Monday, July 3, and one of the attractions of The Championships is the opportunity to catch a glimpse of numerous renowned individuals in the highly sought-after Royal Box.
Throughout the years, this exclusive dark green seating area has welcomed a multitude of A-list celebrities and VIPs, such as Bradley Cooper, Meghan Markle, the influential couple David and Victoria Beckham, and Chris Hemsworth.
Prince William and Princess Kate are frequent attendees at the sporting event, with Kate having a special role as the patron of the All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC), a position she inherited from the late Queen.
As a lifelong tennis enthusiast, Kate has actively engaged in her role as a patron.
Recently, she collaborated with the legendary tennis player and eight-time Wimbledon champion, Roger Federer, to honor and celebrate the Ball Boys and Girls (BBGs) of Wimbledon.
Leave a Reply