Why has the Queen only attended Wimbledon four times in her life?

There is a reason...

(Image credit: Getty Images)

There is a reason...

Wimbledon is usually one of the hallmarks of British summer time, but sadly this year it's one of many events that can't take place due to the ongoing pandemic.

Of course, the royal family usually attends at the iconic sporting event, with a huge secret about their Wimbledon Royal Box recently revealed.

At previous tournaments, there's probably one burning question you've asked yourself – despite it being synonymous with royalty, why has the Queen only ever attended four times in her life?

We regularly see courtside appearances from the royal family, with Prince William and Prince Charles often showing their enthusiasm for tennis, and Kate Middleton has often talks about her love for it (even revealing why she was once banned).

So, why doesn't Her Majesty appear so frequently?

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Apparently, the reason is simply because she isn't a huge fan of the sport; when she has attended in the past it's been in her role as patron.

The Queen's last trip to Wimbledon was in 2010, when she saw Andy Murray beat Jarkko Nieminen, but prior to this she hadn't attended for 33 years.

During her visit, she met Serena Williams, Venus Williams, Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, Caroline Wozniacki and Martina Navratilova as well as chatting to club officials and waving to the public.

The Queen's official visits took place in July 1957, July 1977 and July 1962, but she stepped down from her role as patron and passed it on to Kate Middleton in January 2017.

At the time the news was announced by Philip Brook, chariman of The AELTC and The Championships in a statement: 'We would like to thank Her Majesty for her long and unwavering service to The Club and The Championships during her time as our patron. It was a great honour to welcome Her Majesty to Wimbledon in 2010 and we remain immensely proud of her role in the history of The Club and The Championships.

'We would like to welcome HRH The Duchess of Cambridge, who will take up the Queen's former duties as our patron, and also recognise with appreciation the ongoing contribution of HRH The Duke of Kent, who will continue his long-standing role as our president.'

Jadie Troy-Pryde
News Editor

Jadie Troy-Pryde is News Editor, covering celebrity and entertainment, royal, lifestyle and viral news. Before joining the team in 2018 as the Lifestyle and Social Media Editor, she worked at a number of women’s fashion and lifestyle titles including Grazia, Women’s Health and Stylist, and now heads the Marie Claire UK news desk.