The Kents also have long-standing relationship with the competition. The present Duke and Duchess continue the tradition, presenting the trophies each year
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Members of the royal family haven't always been just spectators, however. In 1926, at the Jubilee Championships, Prince Albert competed in the doubles event alongside Louis Greig, a future chairman of the club.
At the 1947 finals, the late Queen Mother was present when Jack Kramer captured his only Wimbledon title, and her daughter attended in 1957 and 1962, then again in 1977 on the 100th anniversary of the All England event (which was her own silver jubilee year).
The Kent family also shares a lengthy history with Wimbledon. After the death in 1942 of Prince George, the Duke of Kent – who had been club president since 1929 – his widow, Princess Marina, stepped into the role and was a constant at Wimbledon for 23 successive years before her death in 1968. Today, the current Duke and Duchess of Kent continue the tradition, presenting the trophies each year.
While an integral part of the tournament's glamour, the presence of the royal family has been known to shake up a player or two, including nine-time champion Martina Navratilova. "One of the most difficult things I ever had to learn was that little bob," she once joked about the customary curtsy.
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