How Prince Louis Really Felt About Skipping Wimbledon, According To Kate Middleton
Catherine, Princess of Wales is a long-time tennis fan. Long before Queen Elizabeth II passed on her position of royal patron of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club to Kate in 2016, Kate would watch Wimbledon with her family. Since becoming a part of the royal family, Kate has been able to watch from the Royal Box at Wimbledon, and she's frequently in attendance.
In 2022 for the men's singles championship match, Kate was joined by her husband and their oldest son; it was Prince George's first Wimbledon appearance. And in 2023, the royal couple attended the men's championship with their eldest two kids, and Princess Charlotte was Kate's twin for her Wimbledon debut. This meant that their youngest, Prince Louis, didn't get to go. And he was apparently not at all pleased to be left behind. "Louis was very upset he wasn't coming today," Kate said in a conversation before the match, per Daily Mail.
Prince Louis might have to wait a few more years to go to Wimbledon
Catherine, Princess of Wales spent some time chatting with the Wimbledon ball boys and ball girls, and she told them about how five-year-old Prince Louis has been watching the matches and following along with what the ball boys and girls are doing. One ball boy said Kate told him that Louis "tries to practice the standing and staying serious, like us. He tries to practice the stands and how we stand at the back of the court and next to the players," via Hello!. Too sweet!
Kate's talked about how much Wimbledon means to her and her family. In a 2017 BBC documentary on Wimbledon, Kate said, "Wimbledon was very much part of my growing up. It's such a quintessential part of the English summer, and I think it really inspires youngsters; it inspired me when I was younger to get involved in the game."
It sounds like Kate has carried on the Middleton family habit of watching Wimbledon together as a family if Louis knows enough to imitate the ball boys. And maybe next year he'll get the chance to join his family in the Royal Box. Though if the timing matches that of Prince George and Princess Charlotte, Louis will have to wait a couple more years until he's 8.