Kate breaks tradition at Wimbledon - as she watches match beside tennis legend

The Princess of Wales attended the fourth day of Wimbledon, breaking tradition to sit on the outside courts rather than in the royal box.

Dressed in a blue linen suit, the 44-year-old wife of ​heir to the throne Prince William made her way to the stands early ​in the contest and ​was seated beside former semi-finalist Tim ‌Henman.

After entering the grounds, Kate was welcomed with cheers and a round of applause as she passed Henman Hill, waving at spectators.

She then made her way to Court 18 to watch Briton Arthur Fery play his second-round match against Finn Otto Virtanen.

Singer-songwriter Ellie Goulding and Sir Cliff Richard were among the stars in attendance on what proved to be another hot day for Wimbledon visitors, with temperatures reaching up to 26C in London.

Kate later took a seat in Court One beside former world number one Sir Andy Murray to watch Briton Katie Swan as she faced Madison Keys from the US.

The Princess and Murray have been friends for many years, with Kate sharing a moving tribute to the tennis star after he played his final Wimbledon match in 2024.

Fery and Swan were among four Britons in action on Thursday, with ​Jacob Fearnley and Jan Choinski also playing their second-round matches.

Earlier, Kate greeted tennis fans, some of whom had queued since 4am in the hope of securing a ticket.

In the queue, she could be seen smiling and laughing as she had her photo taken with visitors.

The princess asked two excited children if they were big tennis fans, to which they smiled and nodded.

One attendee congratulated the royal tennis fan on her recent Three Peaks challenge.

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Kate also spoke to honorary stewards, who volunteer each year to manage the busy queue.

The princess is patron of the All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC) and regularly attends the tournament.

Last year, she presented the men's trophy to world number one Jannik Sinner after watching the singles final on Centre Court with William.

Kate was diagnosed with cancer in 2024 and made her second public appearance following her diagnosis at the championships that year.

At the start of 2025, she confirmed she was free from the disease.

(c) Sky News 2026: Kate breaks tradition at Wimbledon - as she watches match beside tennis legend