However, one year on, Kate revealed that bringing her family into the spotlight doesn’t always go to plan. Speaking to the BBC, the future Queen said her father tried to play it cool in front of former British number one Tim Henman, but ended up leaving her “in a daze”. She said in the 2017 documentary Sue Barker: Our Wimbledon: “My dad’s not going to appreciate this, but we were walking past Tim Henman and we’d just seen Sampras play. READ MORE: Kate and William’s new home near frail Queen has link to Andrew’s Royal Lodge “My dad said very coolly, ‘Hey Pete.’ “I was sad!” However, Michael’s embarrassing moment has not stopped the Duchess from inviting her father to future tennis tournaments. In 2021, Kate and Michael went out together to watch the men’s final between Novak Djokovic and Matteo Berretini, which saw Djokovic emerge victorious. But first they settled in the men’s wheelchair final between Britain’s Gordon Reid and Belgium’s Joachim Gerard. In a rare royal occurrence, the Tindalls stepped up the PDA during their Wimbledon outing, kissing and holding hands as they watched the action unfold on court. The couple were the first royals to attend this year’s event. On Friday, Princess Michael of Kent, the Duchess of Gloucester, the Earl of St Andrews and Lady Marina Windsor added royal glamor to the numbers. Kate is expected to attend in the coming days and as Royal Patron, she usually hands out the winners’ trophies. The duchess is not only a fan of the sport, but also an avid player. Speaking to Sue Barker, Kate revealed that Wimbledon played a role in inspiring her to take up the sport. She said: “It’s such an essential part of the English summer and I think it really inspires young people, myself, it inspired me when I was younger to get involved in the game.” It has also been reported that the royal family is passing on their passion to their three children, with the family appearing at the Hurlingham Club, an exclusive sports club in London, earlier this year. Prince George even received a private lesson from tennis great Roger Federer, who described the heir to the throne as a “sweet boy” and praised his skills in the sport.
