The Princess of Wales made a surprise appearance on the fourth day of Wimbledon, attending the tournament as patron of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club (AELTC).
Catherine, who arrived at the event on Thursday, visited The Queue to meet attendees who had gathered early for tickets. She also distributed grounds passes and spoke with AELTC’s Honorary Stewards. The Princess of Wales also observed a match on an outer court and interacted with children from the Shine Camera Club, a program that supports disadvantaged youth through photography.
Her visit marked her first appearance at the Championships this year. The Duchess of Gloucester, who is the Honorary President of the Lawn Tennis Association, also attended the matches.
The Royal Box on Centre Court hosted a number of notable guests, including singer Ellie Goulding, Lioness Lucy Bronze, and former athlete Dame Denise Lewis. Also present were former tennis player Deborah Jevans, celebrity chef Marcus Wareing, historian Dan Snow, and Keane singer Tom Chaplin.
Footballer Ona Batlle, a teammate of Lucy Bronze at Barcelona, was also in attendance. Bronze and Batlle developed a close friendship during their time at the Spanish club. Other attendees included Sir Cliff Richard, TV presenter Michaela Strachan, former field hockey player Mark Precious, International Tennis Federation President David Haggerty, and Lawn Tennis Association President Roy Colabawalla. Senior palace aide Jason Knauf, CEO of Prince William's Earthshot Prize, was also among the guests.