Kate gives a nod to tennis whites in a pleated midi skirt as she arrives at Wimbledon
Kate Middleton gave a nod to tennis whites today as she headed to Wimbledon to honour close friend Roger Federer in a special ceremony on Centre Court.
The Princess of Wales, 41, looked elegant as she arrived at the All England Club ahead of the event this afternoon, which is to pay tribute to the eight-time winner.
The royal – who has been patron of the All England Lawn Tennis Club since 2016 – opted for a smart pleated white skirt and mint £1,950 Balmain blazer for the occasion.
The mother-of-three joined former tennis player Laura Robson to watch a little of the action ahead of the ceremony at 1pm, sitting in the crowd to watch Katie Boulter playing against Daria Saville.
Federer will be joined by his wife Mirka on court and fans will be treated to a special video montage of his best moments through the years, and stay for the day’s play as special guests in the royal box.
Kate Middleton gave a nod to tennis whites today as she headed to Wimbledon to honour close friend Roger Federer in a special ceremony on Centre Court
The Princess of Wales joined former tennis player Laura Robson to watch a little of the action ahead of the ceremony at 1pm, sitting in the crowd to watch Katie Boulter playing against Daria Saville
Kate looked elegant as she arrived for the event at the All England Club, which is to pay tribute to the eight-time winner
The tennis player has become a friend of the Royals and the Middletons in the past few years, even attending the wedding of Kate’s sister Pippa to James Matthews in 2017.
At today’s event, she wore her hair in loose waves across her shoulders and opted for neutral makeup, with a sweep of eyeliner and a touch of blusher.
Meanwhile she kept her jewellery simple, opting for a simple pearl bracelet and £72 Chunky Knot Baroque Pearl Earrings by Shyla.
Kate’s choice of Balmain for her outfit marked the first time the royal has been seen in the French label.
Celebrity fans of the fashion house include Cara Delevingne and Kim Kardashian.
Meanwhile Balmain’s creative director previously said he would love to dress Kate’s sister-in-law Meghan Markle, and described her as ‘confident, sexy and respectful.’
The Princess opted to pair the trendy blazer, which features white button detailing and white lapels, with a white midi skirt and matching accessories.
Her appearance comes after Sally Bolton, CEO at the club, spoke yesterday of the Federer tribute set to happen on Centre Court this afternoon.
She said: ‘We are pleased to say that Roger will be with us tomorrow.
‘We will have a special celebratory moment on Centre Court before play starts just to honour him as the man holding the most gentlemen’s singles titles here at Wimbledon.
The Princess, who showcased her summer tan at the event, swept her hair to one side and was beaming with excitement ahead of the match
It wasn’t long before she took a seat in the crowds to watch the action unfold on the second day of the contest
Kate has long been a good friend of Federer, and has made a number of appearances with him over the years
The Princess opted for a pair of pearl drop earrings for the occasion, sweeping her hair to one side to show the jewels off
The royal mother-of-three glided down the stairs at the All England tennis club as she arrived for the event
At today’s event, she wore her hair in loose waves across her shoulders and opted for neutral makeup, with a sweep of eyeliner and a touch of blusher
Kate arrived a little earlier than the expected tribute for Federer – which is set to happen at 1pm on Centre Court
The Princess appeared in good spirits as she arrived for the event in SW19 earlier this morning (pictured)
The Princess, who has long been a fan of Wimbledon and often attends, chatted with Deborah Jevans and Laura Robson as she arrived at the event
Kate appeared in high spirits as she made her first appearance at the tournament for this year (pictured)
Later today, Kate will watch as fans will be treated to a special video montage of Federer’s best moments through the years
The royal – who has been patron of the All England Lawn Tennis Club since 2016 – opted for a smart pleated white skirt and mint £1,950 Balmain blazer for the occasion
‘So for those lucky enough to have a seat on Centre Court tomorrow, I’d just encourage them to get into their seats about 1pm.
‘We will have a moment just to celebrate his achievements and to say thank you, for us certainly for all the memories.’
The All England Club also invited Serena Williams, the seven-time winner who also retired last year, but she declined as she is pregnant.
It is understood Wimbledon will honour her remarkable career another year instead.
Kate has long been a good friend of Federer, and has made a number of appearances with him over the years.
Kate and Federer were due to take part in a charity tennis day last year, but the Princess pulled out following the Queen’s funeral.
He has also visited the Waleses at their home at Anmer Hall in Norfolk – and has given Prince George a private tennis lesson.
And just last week, the royals released a video in which Kate played tennis against Roger.
In a clip shared last week by Kensington Palace on their YouTube channel the pair played a doubles match on No3 Court – where Federer won his first match on the way to taking his first Wimbledon title 20 years ago – to highlight the work of ball boys and girls at the tournament.
Kate managed to get a shot past the Swiss star, prompting him to exclaim: ‘I think it was on the line. Amazing!’
However, the Princess also took the opportunity to try to get some sneaky coaching advice from the former world No1.
‘Any tips on my serve at the same time would be very helpful,’ she said. But Federer replied only with a compliment, saying: ‘The serve looks good.’
Keen tennis player Kate said: ‘Wimbledon is renowned for its amazingly professional ball boys and ball girls.
The Princess opted for a smart white bag for the occasion, which she matched with white buttons on her blazer
The royal appeared to show off her summer tan with the dazzling white pleated midi skirt and matching heels
The Princess appeared to chat to staff at Wimbledon – a tournament she attends every year – as she arrived
The Princess looked elegant in a mint blazer with white buttons as she arrived for day two of the tennis tournament
‘The amount of work it takes, it’s incredible to see it behind the scenes.’ She then said: ‘It’s so good to see you, Roger,’ before walking on to the court for their match.
It’s unlikely today will be Kate’s only visit to the tournament this year – the royal is known to be an avid fan.
The family even have a court at their country home, Anmer Hall in Norfolk.
Last year, she and Prince William were joined by their son Prince George for the event.
The Princess has incorporated tennis into a number of royal engagements, even joining Emma Raducanu on court for a homecoming victory match following her US Open win last year.