Tennis clearly holds a special place in the hearts of the British royal family, who enjoy their sporting exploits. Their love of tennis has turned the annual Wimbledon tennis tournament into an unofficial royal spotting event (and Kate Middleton’s faces at the Grand Slam have become legendary), but their admiration for the sport extends beyond the stands and onto the court. Many royals have relished the opportunity to serve up some game. The best shot of the royal family playing like pros can be found here.
1923
Queen Elizabeth’s father, King George VI, enjoyed a good tennis match long before he became King George VI. Following the announcement of their engagement, the Duke of York and Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon (the future Queen Mother) attended a tennis party.
1926
The future George VI would go on to become the only royal to compete at Wimbledon, playing doubles with Louis Greig a few years later (they were eliminated in the first round.)
1986
Prince Edward continues a family tradition by hitting a tennis ball on a London court.
1988
At the Vanderbilt Raquet Club in London, Princess Diana appeared to be ready to serve against German tennis player Steffi Graf.
1988
With this outfit, Princess Diana, ever the style maven, made a case for tennis skirts everywhere.
1993
Prince Edward must have enjoyed the sport because he was photographed playing at Holyport Real Tennis Court in 1993.
Kate Middleton (third from left in back row) may not have been a royal when this photo was taken for her high school tennis team, but she appears to have developed a passion for the sport.
2007
Queen Elizabeth may not have inherited her father’s tennis prowess (her Majesty is a known horseback rider), but she was clearly pleased to receive a racket from the British Davis Cup.
2012
During a visit to Australia, Prince Charles tossed around a tennis ball at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, despite being at a cricket skills clinic.
2014
Prince William hit a few balls in front of fans during a visit to the Coventry War Memorial Park.
2016
During his official visit to Antigua, Antigua and Barbuda, Prince Harry took a swing at a few tennis balls at a Youth Sports Festival.
2017
Kate succeeded the Queen as royal patron of the Lawn Tennis Association in 2016. She takes advantage of her new position by interacting with children at the National Tennis Centre.
2018
During a visit to the Coach Core Essex apprenticeship programme, Kate demonstrated her serve.
2021
As part of the Lawn Tennis Association’s youth programme, Kate played a match with some school children in Scotland at the Craiglockhart Tennis Centre in Edinburgh.
Prince William of 2021 joined in the fun as well, volleying a few balls with the youth programme.
