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© Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Museum |
British royalty has been associated with The Championships
since 1907 when the Prince of Wales, accompanied by Princess
Mary, visited the Worple Road ground on Saturday, 29th June.
Arriving by motor car at about 3.15 p.m., they were met by
the Committee at the entrance to the ground and escorted
to the Committee Box, which had temporarily been fitted
out as a Royal Box. They stayed until a thunderstorm put
an end to the day’s play, having watched the last
of W.V. Eaves v L.H. Escombe, Miss M.G. Sutton v Miss A.M.
Morton and part of a doubles contest.
Before leaving the ground the Prince accepted an offer
of the Presidency of the Club and declared his intention
of donating to the Club a challenge trophy. The Prince remained
President until his accession to the throne as King George
V in 1910. He then became Patron of the Club, a position
subsequently maintained by succeeding monarchs. King George
V and Queen Mary were avid spectators at The Championships,
being present each year from 1919 to 1934, with the exception
of 1927 and 1929. Queen Mary continued this association and
from 1935 to 1951 missed only the meeting of 1936.
When in 1922 King George V, accompanied by Queen Mary,
opened the Church Road ground, the Prince of Wales (later
King Edward VIII and Duke of Windsor) and Prince Albert
(later Duke of York and King George VI) were present. In
1926, on the occasion of The Jubilee Championships, the
latter competed in the Gentlemen’s Doubles event in
partnership with L. Greig (later Sir Louis Greig, Chairman
of The All England Lawn Tennis Club), but they were well
beaten in the first round by H.R. Barrett and A.W. Gore.
In 1947 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth were present
to watch the Gentlemen’s Singles final. Queen Elizabeth
II visited The Championships on Saturday, 6th July, 1957,
Friday, 6th July, 1962 and during her Silver Jubilee year,
on Friday, 1st July, 1977, on the occasion of The Championship’s
Centenary. Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, attended in
1949, 1953, 1954, 1957, 1960 and 1977. The Prince of Wales
was present in 1970.
In 1929 Prince George became President of the Club and
so began the long association of the Kent family. When he
died in 1942 his widow, the Duchess of Kent (later Princess
Marina) succeeded in the post and up to her death in 1968
attended 23 successive years, many of them most days.
Happily the tradition continues with the present Duke
of Kent, who succeeded his mother in 1969. He and the Duchess
of Kent attend frequently each year and present the trophies.
Other members of the Royal family are regular visitors.
The very first royal visit to Wimbledon was on Monday, 15th
July, 1895, when the Crown Princess Stephanie of Austria,
accompanied by Prince Batthyany Strattmann, witnessed the
Gentlemen’s Doubles Challenge Round.
