Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Antony Thrower

Awkward moment Kate Middleton told she's broken Wimbledon protocol by ball girl

Tennis fan Kate was given a reminder of etiquette on the court by a cheeky ball girl in a warm-up for next week’s Wimbledon tournament.

The Princess of Wales was at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in south-west London for a film with eight-time king Roger Federer and the members of the ball crew.

During a rally with the retired Swiss ace, the royal caught the ball as it headed out of bounds.

When SW19 ball girl Molly congratulated her on a good catch Federer asked if they were allowed to catch the ball as he knew in Australia it was banned.

When Kate asked Molly if she had unwittingly broken a rule, she cheekily answered: “You are not meant to catch it.

"You are meant to let it bounce and then get it, but good catch."

Later she had nothing but praise for the ball boys and girls, adding: “The amount of work it takes, it is incredible to see.”

The Princess, who wore a white tennis dress for the visit, has had a sporty week.

But the tennis-loving royal will soon be back at Wimbledon – when this years’ championships start on July 3.

Kate with tennis legend Roger Rederer (AELTC/Thomas Lovelock)

Kate is a regular visitor to the All England Club, where she is also patron and is often spotted enjoying the action from Centre Court's royal box.

However, a visit in 2021 was dramatically cut short after she received an unexpected alert.

As she took her seat in the royal box to watch British player Dan Evans, she found out that she had been in contact with someone who tested positive for Covid-19 .

She was also back at the club a day later for the men's final, won by Novak Djokovic, before she paid a trip to Wembley for England's Euro 2020 final against Italy.

Last week Kate and Beatrice had a sweet nod to Princess Diana and Fergie in their outfits at Royal Ascot today.

The two princesses joined racegoers when they took part in the traditional carriage procession along with Prince William, and the King and Queen.

William and Kate made their first appearance of the week at the famous Berkshire meet, where high fashion rubs shoulders with the racing world.

Travelling in the second carriage together along with Beatrice, Kate wore a red dress by Alexander McQueen and a Philip Treacy hat while William, like the other royal men, looked smart in a morning suit, and top hat.

The two royals had a sweet nod to two outfits Diana and Fergie wore back in 1990 to the same event.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.