The royals who presented the trophies at Wimbledon

The world’s most famous tennis tournament is about to kick off, and while the sport’s stars will be gathering at SW19, we can expect royalty to attend the matches during the two weeks of competition at the All England Club.

The final weekend in mid-July will be a glittering event as always, and these showpiece events have provided us with some very special moments, with many members of the Royal Family presenting the famous trophies to the winners in the past.

Queen Elizabeth II

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Queen Elizabeth II was not known for her love of tennis, but she was a frequent guest at Wimbledon and paid tribute to some famous winners. Her late Majesty took centre stage on Centre Court during her Silver Jubilee when Virginia Wade won the singles. Twenty years earlier, the Queen had presented the Venus Rosewater Dish to Althea Gibson after her famous singles victory.

King George VI

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Queen Elizabeth II’s father was much more passionate about tennis and famously played at Wimbledon when he was still the Duke of York. He competed in the doubles but never came close to lifting the winner’s trophies. However, as King George VI he finally got his hands on the silver, although he handed it over to Jack Kramer after his singles victory in 1947.

Princess Marina

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For many people, the Windsor lady most associated with Wimbledon is Princess Marina. This Duchess of Kent made tennis her passion and contributed greatly to the prestige of the championships through her continued support. She presented the trophies for years and the All England Club became an integral part of her royal life. Marina made her last public appearance at Wimbledon in 1968. Shortly after the tournament that year, she was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor and died shortly afterward.

Princess Alexandra

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Princess Alexandra of Kent followed in her mother’s footsteps and was also responsible for presenting the trophies at Wimbledon. It was undoubtedly a bittersweet moment for the Princess to celebrate with the winners in 1971, just three years after Marina’s last appearance at the All England Club.

Princess Anne

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The Princess was present to present the trophy in the 1969 Ladies’ Singles, the first championships held after the death of Princess Marina. Wearing a very large hat, Anne presented the famous Venus Rosewater Dish to Ann Jones as she won her only singles title at the All England Club.

Princess Margaret

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Princess Margaret was the one who presented tennis legend John Newcombe with his second singles title in 1970. Margaret completed her own Grand Slam by presenting Margaret Court with the women’s singles trophy that same year.

The Duke of Kent

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The undisputed king of Wimbledon is Edward, Duke of Kent. As president of the All England Tennis Club, he has presented the trophies there more times than any other royal, and although he has retired from that role, he is still a regular in the Royal Box. In 2013, he was privileged to preside over the celebrations when Great Britain won its first men’s singles championship in almost eight decades and the Duke, in his ever-subdued way, presented the famous gilded silver trophy to Andy Murray.

The Duchess of Kent

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Equally synonymous with Wimbledon is the Duchess of Kent, who has had the honour of officiating the women’s singles final for almost three decades. The Duchess was part of one of the Championships’ most famous moments when she consoled Jana Novotna as she cried on her shoulder after losing a hard-fought final in 1993. She was also there to celebrate with Novotna when her Wimbledon dreams finally came true five years later.

Princess Thora

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Now meet the Queen you didn’t know was a regular at Wimbledon. Princess Helena Victoria of Schleswig-Holstein, known to her family as Thora, was a sports-mad granddaughter of Queen Victoria. She especially loved playing tennis.

The Princess of Wales

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Royal support of Wimbledon has been carried into the 21st century by the Princess of Wales, who became patron of the All England Club in 2017. The Princess made her debut in 2019 when she presented the trophies at the end of the men’s singles final under the watchful eye of the Duke of Kent. The Princess of Wales presented the trophies in 2023. There are hopes that she could be at the Championships in 2024, but while her cancer treatment continues, Catherine’s health remains a priority.