Prince William And Kate Middleton's Cutest Wimbledon Moments
While tennis enthusiasts have been enjoying Wimbledon since 1877, the royal family only began attending in 1907 when George V became a Patron of the All England Club. Since then, the royal family have an open invitation every year and are seated in a VIP section known as the Royal Box.
Two royals who are vocal about their love of Wimbledon are Prince William and Princess Catherine, who have attended the tournament together almost every year since their marriage in 2011 — bar a few pregnancies and global pandemics. While displays of extreme emotion or cute moments of PDA between the Prince and Princess of Wales are rare, it seems the excitement of the Wimbledon tennis rivalries inspires the couple to let their hair down a little.
From sharing secret laughs to participating in "the wave" and other crowd shenanigans, Prince William and Princess Catherine have been known to treat their fans to a few "awe" worthy moments at Wimbledon. A very different vibe from their usual charity engagements, it's here where fans have the best chance of catching a peek of the pair's behind-the-scenes dynamic.
Newlywed bliss
It was the summer of 2011 and all eyes were on Prince William and Princess Catherine. The university sweethearts had just married in a blockbuster royal wedding on April 29, 2011, that was watched by around one billion people worldwide.
One of their first public debuts as a wedded couple was the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in June of that year. Freshly tanned from their royal honeymoon in Seychelles, Catherine was the belle of the ball during her first visit to the Royal Box as Duchess of Cambridge. The princess was clad in an all-white dress, with her prince by her side in a dark navy suit, giving the impression that the two really had just stepped off the wedding altar.
Their newlywed glow was undeniable as the spouses shared whispered sweet nothings and bright smiles throughout the fourth round between British tennis master Andy Murray and France's Richard Gasquet on the seventh day of the famed tournament. Although the game was a masterclass in athletic skill, the paparazzi couldn't keep from turning their lenses toward the new royal superstars. One cute image captured William and Catherine clapping as the new Duke of Cambridge looked at his wife with adoring eyes as she beamed with excitement during a score a for Britain.
Making waves together
In August 2012, Prince William and Princess Catherine went for a repeat of their loved-up appearance at Wimbledon. Despite the buzzing crowd of royal relatives and blue bloods, the newlywed pair stuck close to each other once again. This wasn't just any old Wimbledon match, though, as 2012 was a landmark year, with London serving as the host city of that year's Summer Olympic Games.
While today's royal watchers might be used to the Prince and Princess of Wales appearing in public with relaxed, mature energy, photos from the Quarterfinal of Men's Singles Tennis of the London 2012 Olympic Games at Wimbledon show the couple still in their puppy years, cheering and getting raucous along with the crowd — even with commoners sitting outside of the Royal Box.
At one point during the Olympic match, Prince William and Princess Catherine were caught smiling from ear to ear as they joined in on The Wave. It seems this technique can get even the most fancy spectator out of their seats as the prince and princess lifted their arms and bodies in support for the U.K.'s Andy Murray against the Spanish player Nicolas Almagro. It seems their energetic show of support paid off, as Murray ended up winning the match.
A real nail-biter
Princess Catherine's stunning 12-carat sapphire engagement ring was on full display at the 2014 Wimbledon Championships, but not for the best of reasons. The princess, along with her doting husband, were quite animated on day nine of the championships as they watched U.K. hero, Andy Murray, take a big loss in the match against his Bulgarian opponent Grigor Dimitrov.
The princess couldn't help but bring her hands to her face in an astonished gasp, while Prince William looked down upon the court with his best "I'm not mad, just disappointed" glare. While the Men's Quarterfinals eventually came to a dismal conclusion, the royal couple's passion for tennis was on clear display throughout the match as they went on several face journeys during Murray vs. Dimitrov. Their funny looks went viral online after the match, with Time sharing a GIF that cycled through photos of Catherine anxiously biting her lip and screaming in a true sports fan's rage.
From excitement to nail-biting nervousness, Prince William joined in too, seeming on-edge throughout the final serves of the match. While they're usually known for their family anecdotes or fashion looks, it seems this time the prince and princess were something of a comedy duo during their day-date to Wimbledon. The photos that came out after the match can only be described as adorable evidence of just how in-sync Prince William and Princess Catherine truly are.
Hear them roar
Although the Men's Singles Quarterfinals saw tennis champ and England home nation hero, Andy Murray, suffer a massive loss, the Men's Singles Final of Wimbledon 2014 was a good day for Prince William and Princess Catherine. The couple were spotted yet again at day 13 of the legendary tennis championships, where they were nearly jumping up out of their seats in the Royal Box to cheer for seven-time Swiss champion Roger Federer against the Serbian player Novak Djokovic.
While raucous displays of emotion might not be what most people think of when they think of the British royal family, it seems this future king and queen forgot all their etiquette training when it came down to this year's Grand Slam finale. Prince William was the picture-portrait image of a sports fan as he pumped his fists into the air and screamed down to the players on the green. Princess Catherine also looked adorable as she seemingly gave Federer a thumbs up while simultaneously cheering for him to win.
While the Prince and Princess of Wales are no strangers to small displays of physical affection and knowing looks in public — PDA rules be damned — it's these small moments when their true personalities sneak out that really prove just how similar the pair really are. While we can never truly know what the Wales marriage is like behind closed doors, they looked perfectly at-home as they let loose and let the excitement of the match overtake them.
A rare moment of PDA
Royal PDA moments caught on camera are extremely rare, meaning that fans cherish these intimate moments whenever they do make their way into the tabloids. Hailing from the nation known for its stiff upper lip — aka Britain's famous stoicism and penchant for avoiding sentimentality — it's not surprising that couples who belong to the British royal family don't usually hold hands or kiss in public.
However, there's no doubting that the love is there between one of the most visible royal couples — Prince William and Princess Catherine. In July 2017, Catherine was caught on camera affectionately wiping her husband's cheek. By the looks of it, the move was a completely automatic response from a loving wife and shows just how tender she must be behind closed doors. William's expression was hidden behind his dark sunglasses, but one can imagine that the Prince of Wales might have worn a smirking expression at his wife bypassing their PDA rules.
The adorable moment occurred as the two were spectating from the Royal Box at Wimbledon, watching Swiss player Roger Federer take on Croatia's Marin Cilic. Prince William and Princess Catherine's playful PDA moment was surely a reflection of the easy atmosphere on the green, as the royal's favorite, Federer, eventually took home the big title — smashing Cilic and winning his first Wimbledon title since 2012.
Heart-eyed royals
In one of their first outings together since welcoming their third baby, Prince Louis, in April 2018, Prince William and Princess Catherine proved that the spark is still alive when they were all smiles and secret laughs during a visit to the final day of the Men's Singles Wimbledon Tennis Championships. Far from appearing bedraggled and sleep-deprived, the royal couple couldn't keep from cracking each other up in the Royal Box on that warm July day.
Princess Catherine dressed in a bright, canary yellow dress designed by Dolce & Gabbana with matching gold jewelry while Prince William looked date-ready in his light blue suit and black tie. Considering little Prince Louis had just made his way into the world three months before, Princess Catherine's willingness to leave her little ones behind with a nanny and step out in front of countless cameras proves just how much she loves tennis. In fact, the Princess of Wales is officially a royal patron of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club that hosts Wimbledon. So, it's no surprise that Catherine and William's happiness was as blinding as her bold-hued gown.
In one awe-inducing photo, the parents of three were giving what could only be described as heart eyes to each other. Forget about the fabled new-mom glow, Prince William's new-dad glow was undeniable. With their family now complete, this date to the courts surely goes down in history as one of the couple's cutest moments.
A gift for Prince Louis
A year later, Prince Louis' name was once again making headlines relating to the Wimbledon Championships. While royal watchers are used to seeing Prince William and Princess Catherine making heart eyes at each other and letting loose at Wimbledon, this next wholesome Wales family moment was a complete surprise.
Just one row behind the Prince and Princess of Wales at the 2019 Wimbledon Championships sat Stan Smith, the iconic British tennis player who later turned his success on the court into a footwear empire. Smith, who was once a Grand Slam winner himself, is known throughout the U.K. for his line of Adidas trainers — think the chunky sneakers trend of the past, like the New Balance 550 or the Jordan 2.
In a sweet show of support for the royal couple's budding family, Smith was photographed handing Princess Catherine a miniature sized version of his famous white sneakers, intended as a gift for the then-1-year-old Prince Louis. Not only that, but they were even signed by the tennis great and included the name "Louis" embroidered on the side in gold. While it's hard to imagine the toddler rocking such game-ready kicks at a formal royal affair, like Trooping the Colour, the sentiment was nonetheless incredibly sweet. Prince Louis' noted tennis-loving parents were surely quite chuffed, as the Brits would say.
Matching shades
In July 2022, Prince William and Princess Catherine once again donned their summer best to attend day nine of the Wimbledon Tennis Championships. For the Men's Singles Quarterfinals, Princess Catherine stunned in a vintage-inspired polka dot dress by Alessandra Rich. The color of the gown resembled a summer's sky, resulting in a matching blue moment with William, who wore the same blue and gray checked jacket and navy tie as he did at Wimbledon in 2017. But even more visible was the pair's matching sunglasses. When the two leaned in close to chat, the similar tortoise shell design of their shades was on display for all to see.
Prince William's stylish shades looked like the same pair from L.G.R Luca Gnecchi Ruscone that he wore in 2018 while Princess Catherine was rocking a version of the "Henrietta" sunglasses from FINLAY. Although the lovebirds' specs likely hailed from different brands, the tortoise shell motif made their looks seem carefully coordinated. Forget PDA, the couple's subtle shade similarities was a cute moment that showed just how united the Prince and Princess of Wales truly are. For a couple that have been together since their college days, it's no surprise that William and Catherine have started accidentally twinning.
Kisses for mum and dad
Wimbledon is more than a sports tournament to those who reside in the United Kingdom; it's a "quintessential part of the English summer," at least according to Princess Catherine. The princess publicly declared her love for the game in the BBC documentary "Sue Barker: Our Wimbledon," where she admitted that it "inspired" her to pick up a racket as a young girl.
Her love of the sport has clearly followed her into adulthood, too. Not only is the princess a regular at Wimbledon, but she was scheduled to play against Grand Slam icon Roger Federer in a match to benefit Action for Children and the LTA Foundation in September 2022. Unfortunately, the match was canceled due to Queen Elizabeth II's death, but Catherine's willingness to go one-on-one with one of the tennis greats points to great confidence in her serve skills. Who does she have to thank for her athleticism? Well, perhaps her tennis coach.
But also her parents, Carole and Michael Middleton, who allowed their youngster to pursue her interest in tennis. This debt was sweetly acknowledged by the Princess of Wales at the 2022 Wimbledon Championships when she and Prince William gave knowing waves to the Middletons in the crowd, with Catherine even blowing her mum and dad a touching air kiss. While the prince and princess were seated in front-row seats, William's in-laws were seated a few rows behind them in the Royal Box.
Prince George's first Wimbledon
While Wimbledon has historically been the place Prince William and Princess Catherine go to have some one-on-one time, that all changed in July 2022 when the royal pair decided to bring along their eldest child, Prince George, to the Men's Singles Final. The 8-year-old was practically his dad's mini-me as he sat patiently in his tailored suit, and of course, wore his golden locks styled into a gentlemanly combover.
Far from appearing as if their son was cramping their romantic style, mum and dad were all smiles as they sat on either side of the prince checking in on him throughout the match to ensure his enjoyment and understanding of the game. While the new seating arrangement in the Royal Box meant that William and Catherine were no longer able to lean in and share inside jokes, the image of England's first family enjoying some bonding time was still enough to put fans into cuteness overload.
One commentator on Instagram guesses that Prince George will be a "heart-breaker" one day, while another wrote that it's "lovely to see them bonding together." With Prince George's introduction to Wimbledon, it's clear that Prince William and Princess Catherine are passing down their love of tennis to their youngsters.
Princess Charlotte's first Wimbledon
The seal was broken with Prince George's appearance at the 2022 Wimbledon Championships, and suddenly the annual tennis tournament was no longer just a mum-and-dad affair. Princess Charlotte, the Prince and Princess of Wales' second child and only daughter, followed suit in 2023, making her Wimbledon debut at the Men's Singles Finals. Before the match, Princess Catherine spoke with staff member Ella Ottaway, saying "It's Charlotte's first time ... Charlotte you've been getting to grips with the scoring, haven't you?" (via the Independent).
Just like her brother, Charlotte was also dressed in her summer best. The 8-year-old wore an adorable floral dress in a light blue color with an added long-sleeve white cardigan. Her hair was also worn long, featuring two braided strands tied together with a blue ribbon. While there have been many times Princess Catherine has adorably matched with her kids, on this occasion, she let Charlotte enjoy the limelight, donning a simple green dress.
Together, Catherine and William sat on either side of their children in the Royal Box, giving off mama-and-papa-bear energy as they formed a protective border between their youngsters and the crowd. In one photo, the royal parents can be seen grinning at each other over their two kids, in what appeared to be an adorable family-fun moment.