The royals are renowned tennis fans, and while most have been spotted cheering in the Royal Box at Wimbledon, quite a few of the King’s family members like to practise their serve.
The Princess of Wales became patron of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in 2016, taking over from the late Queen Elizabeth II, who had held the role for 64 years.
Kate, who has shared a love for the sport and Wimbledon since childhood, reportedly took lessons at the exclusive Hurlingham Club in Fulham and her country home, Anmer Hall, in Norfolk, which has its own tennis courts.
It’s not just Kate who likes to hit the court, take a look at more amazing photos of the royals playing tennis…
MORE ON WIMBLEDON
1/11
© Getty
The Princess of Wales
Kate hasn’t been able to resist getting involved during tennis-related engagements and in 2023, she showed off her impressive skills as she teamed up with Swiss star, Roger Federer.
2/11
© Getty
Queen Mary of Denmark
Queen Mary shares Kate’s love of tennis too and has been seen hitting the court on several occasions over the years. The Australian-born royal picked up a racquet as she took part in an Anti-bullying event with schoolchildren in Copenhagen in 2023.
3/11
© Getty
King Frederik of Denmark
The king is renowned for his love of sports, including running, football and tennis. Frederik took part in a social game of tennis during the Australian Open Grand Slam in 2004 – the year he married Mary.
4/11
© Getty
The Prince of Wales
While Prince William is a self-confessed football fan, he put his best game face on during an engagement in Coventry in 2014.
5/11
© Getty
Diana, Princess of Wales
The late Diana, Princess of Wales, was a keen tennis enthusiast and had lessons at the Harbour Club in Chelsea. She even played doubles at the Vanderbilt Racquet Club with German tennis player Steffi Graf in June 1988.
6/11
© Getty
King George VI
Queen Elizabeth II’s father, King George VI, actually competed at Wimbledon in 1926 before he became monarch. He played in the men’s doubles tournament, just months after Princess Elizabeth had been born.
7/11
© Getty
The Duke of Edinburgh
Prince Edward seems to have taken after his grandfather with his love of the sport. The Duke, who is patron of the Tennis & Rackets Association, is seen here playing tennis in Berkshire in 1993. The sport has happy memories for Edward, who met his wife Sophie at a real tennis event in the 1990s.
8/11
© Getty
Prince Harry
The Duke of Sussex, who was a keen sportsman at school, played in a game of tennis at the Youth Sports Festival during his visit to Antigua in 2016.
9/11
© Getty
Prince Albert of Monaco
Prince Albert of Monaco, who is a regular at Wimbledon, is seen playing tennis at the palace in Monaco in 1983.
10/11
© Getty
The Duchess of Gloucester
Birgitte, Duchess of Gloucester looked elegant as ever as she tested out her racquet skills during a visit to Birmingham in 2013. Birgitte, who is married to Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester, is Honorary President of the Lawn Tennis Association.
11/11
© Getty
Princess Alexandra
We love this archive photograph of Princess Alexandra playing tennis at her family’s home, Coppins, in Buckinghamshire in 1954. The princess donned a plaid shirt, high-waisted jeans and espadrilles to practise her serve.
LOVE THE ROYALS? JOIN THE CLUB!
If you are reading this, the chances are you are obsessed with all things royalty – which is just as well because so are we! So obsessed, in fact, we’ve launched a club solely dedicated to covering them. So welcome to The HELLO! Royal Club. We would love you to join us there…
What is it?
Interactive community offering behind-the-scenes access, exclusive royal interviews, unmissable royal insights, and an illustrious royal Inner Circle.
Member benefits
- Two weekly newsletters, one from Emily Nash
- Video posts and audio notes from Emily Nash and the HELLO! Royal team
- Access to our royal community and opportunity to interact with club writers and members
- Participate in polls, comments and discussion threads
- Royal-themed puzzles with a weekly prize to be won
- Access to our Ask Me Anything sessions with our journalists
- Invitations to in-person and virtual events
- A subscription to the digital edition of HELLO! Magazine (Worth £82 annually)*
- Future ‘Inner Circle’ benefits
By royal decree
You are royally invited to join The HELLO! Royal Club – and then to go forth and spread the word to your fellow royal fans. See you in the club!
