The Duke of Kent was joined by Lady Susan Hussey as he led the Royal Family’s attendance on the opening day of Wimbledon 2026.
The 90-year-old royal, a former patron of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, took his place in the Royal Box on Centre Court as play got underway at SW19.
Lady Susan Hussey accompanied the Duke for Wimbledon’s opening day’s action. She served as a lady-in-waiting to Queen Elizabeth II for more than six decades, acting as Woman of the Bedchamber from 1960 until the late Queen’s death in 2022, and was widely regarded as one of the monarch’s closest confidantes.
Following the Accession, King Charles III appointed Lady Susan as one of his Ladies of the Household. However, she resigned from the role in November 2022 after a reception at Buckingham Palace where charity founder Ngozi Fulani said Lady Susan repeatedly questioned her about her heritage. Buckingham Palace described the comments as “unacceptable and deeply regrettable”, while Lady Susan issued an apology for “the hurt caused”.
Lady Susan, born Susan Katherine Waldegrave on 1 May 1939, is the daughter of Geoffrey Waldegrave, 12th Earl Waldegrave. She married Marmaduke Hussey in 1959, with the couple having two children, James and Katherine. Lord Hussey later served as Chairman of the BBC.
Her close relationship with the Royal Family extended beyond her official duties. She became one of Prince William’s godparents following his birth in 1982, and in 2021 Queen Elizabeth II chose Lady Susan to accompany her on the journey to the funeral of the Duke of Edinburgh during the COVID-19 restrictions.
The Duke of Kent, who has scaled back his public engagements in recent years, has nevertheless remained a familiar face at major royal occasions, including Trooping the Colour and Garter Day earlier this month.
Among the other high-profile guests in the Royal Box on Monday were David Beckham, Dame Mary Berry, Tess Daly and Katherine Jenkins.
The Princess of Wales, patron of the All England Club since 2016, is expected to attend the Wimbledon Championships later in the fortnight and traditionally presents the singles trophies on finals weekend.
