Since 1877, the Wimbledon Tennis Championships have attracted sports lovers from around Britain and the world to watch some of the sport's highest-level matches.
Like many high level sports events in Britain, they have developed alongside them a thriving social scene, with being seen at Wimbledon becoming an important social marker.
The British royals have developed a long-standing relationship with the championships, dating back to 1907 when King George V and Queen Mary (when Prince and Princess of Wales) first attended a match.
Since then, generations of kings, queens, princes and princesses, dukes and duchesses have been seen in the royal box of the prestigious center court. A number have taken on the duty of presenting prizes to the champions and becoming official patronages of clubs and organizations associated with the tournament.
Here, Newsweek looks at some of the royals' best Wimbledon reactions caught on camera across generations, from Princess Diana to Princess Kate and Prince George.
Cheering Princess
One of the royal family's biggest tennis fans was Princess Diana who attended Wimbledon regularly after her marriage to King Charles III (when Prince of Wales) in 1981.
Diana was often photographed in the center court's royal box with close friends and family, including her mother, Frances Shand Kydd, and son, Prince William, cheering on her favorite players.
Queen's Visit
Queen Elizabeth II only attended the Wimbledon championships four times in her 70-year reign.
In 2010, she took her seat in the royal box next to her cousin, the Duke of Kent, and was photographed beaming as she watched British player Andy Murray play a second-round match.
Tense Tennis
Like his mother, Queen Elizabeth, King Charles is not known to be a big tennis fan and has rarely attended the championships.
He made a rare exception in 2012, when he attended with his wife, Queen Camilla, to watch Swiss champion Roger Federer play a tense second-round match against Italian Fabio Fognini.
Near Miss
Ever the passionate spectator, Prince William has never tried to hide his excitement at sports games—Wimbledon being no exception.
After appearing at the championships with his mother as a young boy, William began attending regularly again after his marriage to Princess Kate in 2011.
In 2014, the pair watched as Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic faced off for the title of men's singles champion.
Pre-Royal Smile
Another royal who has a long-standing love of tennis is Meghan Markle. Prior to her marriage to Prince Harry in 2018, she was photographed attending Wimbledon while still working as an actress in the United States.
Meghan attended the championships on multiple days in 2016 and was photographed smiling from the general stands of the center court.
Sisters-in-Law
After she married Harry in 2018, Meghan attended Wimbledon twice alongside her new sister-in-law, Princess Kate.
This time, seated in the royal box, Meghan was photographed chatting to Kate as they watched the women's singles final between German player Angelique Kerber and American pro Serena Williams.
Match Point
In 2019, reported tensions between Meghan and Kate behind the scenes were not on show as the two royals attended Wimbledon together again, this time to watch Serena Williams take on Romanian Simona Halep in the women's singles final.
The sisters-in-law were photographed in conversation with Kate's own sister, Pippa Middleton, and animatedly following the match on court.
High Energy
Today, Princess Kate is probably the royal with the biggest passion for tennis. In 2016, Queen Elizabeth II recognized her as such when she made her the patron of the All England Lawn Tennis Club.
In this capacity, Kate has attended the men's and women's singles final matches for several years, often participating in the official prize giving to each champion.
While often reserved and regal in her behavior when out in public, fans have delighted in Kate lowering her guard at Wimbledon to fully engage and react to the game being played, resulting in a number of widely shared photos.
Prince's First Wimbledon
Prince William and Princess Kate first introduced their eldest son, Prince George, to the delights of Wimbledon in 2022. He was treated to a seat in the royal box for the men's singles final between Novak Djokovic and New Zealand player Nick Kyrgios.
The tense match saw George, at one point, cover his eyes while going on to cheer on Djokovic's eventual win.
Cheering on the Champion
In 2023, royal fans were delighted when Prince George made his second Wimbledon appearance alongside his parents, this time accompanied by his younger sister, Princess Charlotte.
The royal siblings cheered on as Spanish player Carlos Alcaraz took on returning champion Novak Djokovic in the men's singles final, resulting in a number of joyous photo opportunities.
Royal Wave
The 2024 Wimbledon Tennis Championships have seen the return of another royal tennis fan: Queen Camilla.
The royal attended without their husband, King Charles, instead being accompanied by her sister, Annabel Elliot, who, at a certain point during a match between Italian player Lorenzo Musetti and U.S. pro Taylor Fritz.
At one point, the queen was photographed taking in the crowd's atmosphere at the game, even participating in the Wave.
James Crawford-Smith is Newsweek's royal reporter, based in London. You can find him on X (formerly Twitter) at @jrcrawfordsmith and read his stories on Newsweek's The Royals Facebook page.
Do you have a question about King Charles III and Queen Camilla, William and Princess Kate, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry, or their family that you would like our experienced royal correspondents to answer? Email royals@newsweek.com. We'd love to hear from you.
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