Growing up in the royal family doesn’t make meeting a sports idol any less nerve-wracking. Princess Charlotte reminds us of exactly that during a memorable Wimbledon performance that won hearts around the world.
The 11-year-old, who shares her mother Princess Kate’s love of tennis, stole hearts during her Wimbledon debut in 2023 when she came face-to-face with one of the sport’s biggest stars.
Charlotte attended the men’s singles final alongside the Prince and Princess of Wales and her older brother, Prince George, and saw a riveting showdown between Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic from the Royal Box. Throughout the match, the young princess was full of smiles and excitement as she followed each point.
But after Alcaraz lifted the Wimbledon trophy, Charlotte’s confidence briefly evaporated.
After presenting the trophies on Center Court, Princess Kate took George and Charlotte backstage to meet the newly crowned champion.
As Kate congratulated him on his win, Charlotte appeared overwhelmed by the moment and adorably hid behind her mum’s shoulder as cameras captured the touching exchange.
A year later, however, the young royal looked much more comfortable. During the 2024 Championships, Charlotte and Prince George chatted confidently with world number one Jannik Sinner and even asked the Italian star to sign their tennis balls, underlining how much she had grown in confidence.
Although Charlotte has yet to appear at Wimbledon this year, Princess Kate has already delighted fans with a surprise visit to the championships.
On Thursday, the Princess of Wales stepped away from the Royal Box to greet spectators waiting in the famous Wimbledon queue.
Dressed in a smart blue linen suit by Gabriela Hearst, Kate chatted with tennis fans, posed for photographs and even helped ticket officers distribute tickets to lucky visitors.
