The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge arrived at Wimbledon with Prince George in tow to watch the men's singles final.
Prince William and Kate greeted ball boys and girls and staff in the Millennium building before crossing the bridge over cheering crowds into Centre Court. They are now sitting in the royal box to watch Nick Kyrgios take on Novak Djokovic.
Kate, who is patron of the All England Club, looked summery in a navy blue skirt and matching top with white polka dots by designer Alessandra Rich. When asked about George coming to Wimbledon, she said: “Is this your first time? It is, isn’t it?” to which he replied: “Yes”.
READ MORE: Prince William's common gesture explained, and why he touches his cufflinks
When asked why Charlotte was not there, she explained that they had brought their son to watch for a special treat. "It's George's treat today", the Duchess of Cambridge said.
George, who was suited and booted for the occasion, was also asked who he was going to support. He appeared too shy to answer, so William looked at him and whispered: “Djokovic” before adding: “We’ll see how long it lasts. He’ll support the winner.”
William then spoke about Kyrgios’ powerful serve and Djokovic’s experience in playing grand slam finals. He added: “I think it’s going to be an electrifying spectacle.”
The royals greeted a group of military personnel who are working as stewards at the championship – Lt Col Lucy Smith from the Army, deputy assistant commissioner Philip Morton, from the London Fire Brigade, Lt Commander Chris Boucher from the Royal Navy and Sergeant Jacquie Crook from the Royal Air Force. Kate asked them about their roles and how many championships they had worked at Wimbledon, to which one replied: “19 years”.
She then explained to George what the group members do, saying: “They look after everybody to make sure the crowds are safe and happy, doing the right thing, in the right seats, making sure the grounds are safe.” The royals then moved on to greet Dylan Mulvey, 13, from Wandsworth, who had been selected to do the coin toss as well as ball boys and girls Syed Arez, Dior Knorr and Amy Granger.
Kate explained to George that Dylan, who was nominated by St George’s Hospital in recognition of his fundraising efforts, would be kicking off the match, showing her son the coin that would be used in the toss. She then said to the ball boys and girls: “I never know how you manage school and all the training that goes into it.”
The men’s singles match comes with a backdrop of controversy as Kyrgios faces charges for common assault against a former partner in Australia. His wild journey to the final – featuring run-ins with line judges, umpires, opponents, the media and even the crowd – has prompted headlines such as “a menace to tennis” and “Wimbledon’s worst nightmare”, among others.
However, his opponent Djokovic said he was happy to see Kyrgios in the final after the Australian was given a walkover when Spaniard Rafael Nadal pulled out ahead of the semis due to an abdominal injury.
Read more of today's top stories here
READ NEXT:
- 'When the big Tesco opened we thought it would kill us': Inside Greater Manchester's oldest family bakery
- The 'most tranquil' Peak District village with only 250 people and not a busy road in sight
-
'Spectacular' Red Arrows pictured flying over Bolton and Wigan
-
Two shootings and double stabbing in bloody night of violence across Greater Manchester
