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While Kate Middleton is the royal patron of Wimbledon, another member of the royal family is holding the attendance record this year so far. Birgitte, Duchess of Gloucester was back for a second day at the All England Lawn Tennis Club to watch the competition from the Royal Box. (She was also in attendance last week.) There, she greeted Roger Federer, eight-time Wimbledon champion. The Duchess also spent time with Federer and his wife at Wimbledon last year.
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Federer also said hello to Carole Middleton and Pippa Middleton, Kate’s mom and sister who were also in the Royal Box today, along with actor David Harewood.
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The retired player is continuing a tradition of returning to Wimbledon “each year since retiring from professional tennis in 2022,” notes the ATP’s website. Today, too, is the 18th anniversary of his five-set loss to Rafael Nadal in the 2008 final. The first match Federer, the Duchess of Gloucester, and other members of the Royal Box watched was Alexandra Eala of the Philippines against Jasmine Paolini of Italy.
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The Duchess of Gloucester, who wore a white blazer, floral broach, and layered necklaces to the tournament today, is among many royal attendees at Wimbledon this year so far: King Frederik of Denmark took in the action yesterday, and the Princess of Wales, the Duke of Kent, and Lady Rose Gilman were all spotted during the first week. Birgitte is a regular at Wimbledon in her capacity as Honorary President of Lawn Tennis Association (LTA), the national governing body of tennis in Great Britain; she wore a bow pinned to her jacket today with “LTA” on it. Later today on Centre Court, Arthur Fery, the last British player in the tournament, will play Grigor Dimitrov.
Emily Burack (she/her) is the Deputy Digital Editor for Town & Country, where she covers entertainment, celebrities, the royals, and a wide range of other topics. Before joining T&C, she was the deputy managing editor at Hey Alma, a Jewish culture site. Follow her @emburack on Instagram, Twitter, and other social media platforms.