It wouldn’t be wrong to say that royalty and the Wimbledon championships go hand in hand! And this not just includes tennis royalty but proper blue blood, given the tournament’s close ties with the British royal family. High-profile friendships like those between Roger Federer and the Princess of Wales Kate Middleton or Serena Williams and the Duchess of Sussex Meghan Markle have brought the seemingly distant worlds of tennis and British royalty even closer in recent years.

Therefore, members from the royal family attending Wimbledon matches are a very common sight. However, Meghan Markle’s 2019 Wimbledon appearance in a Serena Williams Court 1 match was a different affair, as it became the subject of controversy.

Meghan Markle’s no picture rule while attending Serena Williams match at Wimbledon 2019

The history of the royal family’s patronage of the oldest tennis tournament in the world goes back a long way, with numerous members of the British royalty gracing the event with their presence over the years. It was supposed to be a similar story when the Duchess of Sussex Meghan Markle, a close friend of Serena Williams, came to cheer up the tennis legend during her second-round match against Kaja Juvan on Court 1 of the All England Club.

But things took a surprising turn when Markle’s bodyguards directed the spectators not to click any pictures of the Suits star or in her vicinity, as reported by the Daily Mail. She was accused of using her privileges as a member of the royal family to dictate the happenings of her surroundings.

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The royal protection officers defended the actions by claiming that Markle was attending the match of her friend Serena Williams in a ‘private capacity’. This year’s Wimbledon witnessed a similar controversy as questions were raised about a possible breach of royal protocol involving Kate Middleton and tennis icon Roger Federer.

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Awkward moment between Kate Middleton and Roger Federer took center stage at Wimbledon

Just like Serena Williams and Meghan Markle, the close friendship between Roger Federer and Kate Middleton is a well-established fact. However, the Swiss maestro’s awkward gesture towards Middleton in the royal box of Centre Court during his grand return to SW19 was subject to much scrutiny.

Federer touched Middleton on her back and appeared to be leaning in for a kiss with the Princess of Wales while greeting her. This stirred up a controversy as it is considered a breach of protocol and a violation of royal etiquette to touch a member of the royal family in public.

Despite such contentious issues causing a stir here and there over the years, the British royalty’s tryst with Wimbledon is definitely going to be a never-ending affair. After all, Wimbledon itself is tennis aristocracy at its very best!

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