The Princess of Wales, Kate Middleton, once found herself deeply embarrassed at Wimbledon after her father, Michael Middleton, committed a notable gaffe in front of former British tennis star Tim Henman. The incident, which she recounted in the 2017 BBC documentary 'Our Wimbledon', hosted by Sue Barker, occurred when the family crossed paths with Henman shortly after watching Pete Sampras play.
Michael Middleton's Awkward Mistake
According to Kate, her father attempted to appear composed but mistakenly addressed Henman as 'Pete', confusing him with the American tennis legend Pete Sampras. She recalled: "My father is not going to appreciate this, but we were walking past Tim Henman and we had just seen [Pete] Sampras play. My dad said very coolly, 'Hi Pete'. I was mortified!"
The Princess, who has been patron of the All England Club since 2016, has been a regular attendee at Wimbledon, missing only the 2013 tournament due to her pregnancy with Prince George and the cancelled 2020 edition. In 2023, she attended the final with her two eldest children, Prince George and Princess Charlotte.
Recent Wimbledon Appearance
This week, the 44-year-old Princess attended the fourth day of Wimbledon, opting not to sit in the Royal Box. Instead, she was spotted on Court 18 alongside Henman, watching Arthur Fery take on Otto Virtanen. She wore a blue blazer and matching trousers. Before the match, Kate greeted fans who had queued for hours, receiving applause and cheers as she walked past Henman Hill.
