The Duke of Kent is retiring as President of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club. It means we’ll no longer see the Queen’s cousin handing over the trophies at the club’s most famous event, Wimbledon. As he prepares to step back from a role he has made his own, Royal Central recalls the long and happy relationship between the Duke of Kent and Centre Court.
[getty src=”1254992220″ width=”594″ height=”439″ tld=”co.uk”]The Duke of Kent became President of the All England Club in 1969, taking over from his mother, Princess Marina, who had died the previous year. He presented the trophies in 1969, a bittersweet moment as one of Marina’s last public engagement before her unexpected death had been at the club for the prize presentation. In the early years of his Presidency, he often handed over all the prizes. Here, he is seen with the 1972 Women’s Singles Champion, Billie Jean King.
[getty src=”79658690″ width=”594″ height=”480″ tld=”co.uk”]The Duke of Kent soon became a familiar face at Wimbledon and took an increasingly deep interest in the game and the issues around it. He was on hand to congratulate Arthur Ashe after his famous win in 1975.
[getty src=”1133570977″ width=”594″ height=”397″ tld=”co.uk”]In 1977, the Duke and Duchess of Kent posed for an historic photo with several of the most famous winners in Wimbledon history.
[getty src=”146377661″ width=”594″ height=”476″ tld=”co.uk”]As a new wave of stars emerged in the 1980s, the presence of the Duke and Duchess of Kent remained a constant at Wimbledon. US star, John McEnroe, had caused controversy with his outbursts on Centre Court but was all smiles when Prince Edward presented him with the Challenge Cup in 1981.
The Kents went with Wimbledon like strawberries go with cream. In 1986, they even attended the Champions’ Ball alongside winners Martina Navratilova and Boris Becker.
[getty src=”1148058408″ width=”594″ height=”397″ tld=”co.uk”]In 2003, when Roger Federer won, the Duke of Kent removed the requirement for players to bow to members of the Royal Family in the royal box at the start and end of their matches. The only time since then that it has happened is in 2010, when The Queen attended, and in 2012, when the Prince of Wales was present. Individual players can still bow or curtsey to the Duke when he presents the trophies, if they want to.
[getty src=”88819032″ width=”594″ height=”395″ tld=”co.uk”]Following the decision of the Duchess of Kent to retire from public life, her husband also took on the duty of presenting the Ladies’ Singles prizes. Here, he hands over the famous Venus Rosewater Bowl to Serena Williams following her win over sister, Venus, in 2009.
[getty src=”173112042″ width=”594″ height=”396″ tld=”co.uk”]In 2013, the Duke of Kent finally got to hand the Men’s Singles trophy to a British winner when Andy Murray became the first homegrown champion for almost eight decades.
[getty src=”1161996639″ width=”594″ height=”396″ tld=”co.uk”]In 2017, the Duchess of Cambridge took over as patron of the Club from The Queen. In 2019, she accompanied the Duke of Kent on to Centre Court for the trophy presentation. The Duke watched as Kate handed over the top prize to Novak Djokovic.
[getty src=”451091944″ width=”594″ height=”381″ tld=”co.uk”]On July 11th 2021, the Duke will take his final bow at Wimbledon when he presents the trophies for the last time. His retirement from a role he has held for over fifty years brings to an end one of the most famous royal sporting partnerships of modern times.
