The One Wimbledon Rule That Didn’t Apply To Prince George
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were joined by their oldest child, Prince George, in the royal box on Centre Court as they watched Novak Djokovic take on Nick Kyrgios in the Wimbledon Final.
Prince George, the oldest of the three Cambridge children, just attended his first-ever Wimbledon final, as he joined his parents for the big match on Sunday.
The eight-year-old enjoyed a full day of tennis alongside his father Prince William and mother Kate Middleton, without siblings Charlotte and Louis.
The three royals, as usual, were seated in the royal box in Centre Court for the final matchup of Nick Kyrgios versus defending champion Novak Djokovic.
Prince Georgeâs presence in the royal box was a rare sight, as children are not usually invited to sit there. In fact, only royal children are allowed to do so.
Former chairman John Curry once released a statement about the royal box rule: âApart from children of the royal family, children are not invited as they exclude other worthy people from attending, many of whom contribute to tennis,â read the statement.
The match did not disappoint, with both player bringing their A-game and having moments of brilliance, even with the Australian having moments of frustration and anger, something that is not uncommon for him. But in the end Novak managed to defend the title and snatch his 21st grand slam victory.
When asked about George coming to Wimbledon, Kate – who is patron of the All England Club – said: “Is this your first time? It is, isn’t it?” to which the boy replied: “Yes”.
The Duchess was also asked why Charlotte didnât also join them, to which she simply replied with: “It’s George’s treat today.”
George looked as grown-up as ever in a suit, and was quite shy when asked who he supported and didnât really answer until his father Prince William looked at him and whispered: “Djokovic” before adding: “We’ll see how long it lasts. He’ll support the winner.”
William then spoke to them about Kyrgiosâ powerful serve and Djokovicâs experience in playing grand slam finals. He said this before the match: “I think it’s going to be an electrifying spectacle.”
Kate looked as great as ever in a summery navy blue dress and matching top with polka dots by designer Alessandra Rich.
When the royals arrived they first 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 chatted with them, asking about their roles and how many championships they have worked at Wimbledon, to which one replied: â19 yearsâ.
This yearâs Wimbledon tournament has been quite eventful, with Kyrgios being involved in most of the happenings.
Following his third-round matchup against Stefanos Tsitsipas, his opponent branded him âevilâ after a very controversial match. Kyrgios admitted that he spat in the direction of the spectator as he criticized âdisrespectfulâ fans during a post-match news conference.
Another year, another incredible tournament here @Wimbledon
— The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (@KensingtonRoyal) July 10, 2022
Congratulations to @DjokerNole on becoming Menâs singles Champion & to all the players who participated over the past two weeks. Last but not least, to the staff, team & community who make this special event happen đđž pic.twitter.com/VLIWkn8kPy
Djokovic, who beat British number one Cameron Norrie from the tournament on Thursday, said: “I think, between us players, we always know how dangerous he is, on grass particularly, because of his game, because of his attitude on the court being so confident, just going for it, being a very complete player.”
After the withdrawal of Nadal in the semifinal, essentially giving Kyrgios a free pass to the final, the Australian talked about Djokovic, saying that he had developed a “bromance” with the defending champion over the last few months.
The 26-year-old said he thinks a “Kyrgios-Djokovic final would be mouth-watering”.
“You’ll never probably see anyone who just wins and just plays the game just so good as a winner than Djokovic,” he later added.