Skip to main contentSkip to footer
Queen Camilla waves as she arrives in the royal box at Wimbledon© Getty

Queen Camilla enjoys girls' day out at Wimbledon amid Princess Kate's absence

The Queen made a surprise appearance at the tennis tournament

Danielle Stacey
Online Royal CorrespondentLondon
July 10, 2024
Share this:

The Queen enjoyed a girls' day out with a special guest as she made a surprise appearance at Wimbledon.

Camilla, who turns 77 next week, was joined by her sister, Annabel Elliot, as the pair watched the action on the tenth day of the tennis tournament.

She was joined in the royal box on Centre Court by the King's nephew, Peter Phillips and his new girlfriend, Harriet Sperling, as well as famous faces, including actress Keira Knightley, racing driver George Russell, ABBA's Bjorn Ulvaeus and politician, William Hague.

Other guests at SW19 on Wednesday included the Princess of Wales's parents, Carole and Michael Middleton, and the King's niece, Zara Tindall and her husband, Mike.

Queen Camilla and Annabel Elliot attend day ten of the Wimbledon Tennis Championships© Getty
The Queen was joined by her sister, Annabel Elliot, in the royal box

It's not yet known whether Kate, 42, will make an appearance at Wimbledon this year amid her ongoing cancer treatment. She said in a personal message ahead of Trooping the Colour last month that she has "good days and bad days" and that her "treatment is ongoing and will be for a few more months".

However, the All England Club chair Debbie Jevans previously said that organisers are "staying flexible" over who will participate in the trophy presentation if Kate is unable to.

Debbie told Telegraph Sport: "We're hopeful that the Princess of Wales will be able to present the trophies as the Club's patron, but her health and recovery is the priority. 

“We don't know what we don't know. All we've said is that we'll work with her and give her as much flexibility as possible."

As the Queen arrived at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, she was introduced to individuals on the Players' Lawn who support The Championships as well as some of those taking part, including Ball Boy, Yug, from Harris Academy Wimbledon and Ball Girl, Natalia, from Burntwood School in Wandsworth.

The Queen met ball kids Natalia from Burntwood School in Wandsworth and Yug from Harris Academy Wimbledon© Getty
The Queen met ball kids Natalia from Burntwood School in Wandsworth and Yug from Harris Academy Wimbledon

Camilla told former player Laura Robson, who works in international player relations at Wimbledon, it was "so nice to be able to escape for a day".

She praised head gardener Martyn Falconer, who has worked at Wimbledon for 25 years and cares for all the plants around the grounds.

"It all looks fantastic. It always looks absolutely perfect," she told him.

Queen Camilla© Getty
Her Majesty with All England Lawn Tennis Club Chair, Debbie Jevans

The Queen looked elegant in a cream linen dress featuring large giraffe motifs by Anna Valentine, with a Jack Russell brooch from Van Cleef and Arpels. She previously wore the frock during an official visit to Kenya with the King last November.

LISTEN: Inside the relationship between monarch and PM

LOVE THE ROYALS? JOIN THE CLUB!

Princess Kate wearing black and white polka dots and a hat

If you are reading this, the chances are you are obsessed with all things royalty – which is just as well because so are we! So obsessed, in fact, we’ve launched a club solely dedicated to covering them. So welcome to The HELLO! Royal Club. We would love you to join us there…

What is it?

Interactive community offering behind-the-scenes access, exclusive royal interviews, unmissable royal insights, and an illustrious royal Inner Circle.

Member benefits

  • Two weekly newsletters, one from Emily Nash
  • Video posts and audio notes from Emily Nash and the HELLO! Royal team
  • Access to our royal community and opportunity to interact with club writers and members
  • Participate in polls, comments and discussion threads
  • Royal-themed puzzles with a weekly prize to be won
  • Access to our Ask Me Anything sessions with our journalists
  • Invitations to in-person and virtual events
  • A subscription to the digital edition of HELLO! Magazine (Worth £82 annually)*
  • Future ‘Inner Circle’ benefits

By royal decree

You are royally invited to join The HELLO! Royal Club – and then to go forth and spread the word to your fellow royal fans. See you in the club!

Sign up to HELLO Daily! for the best royal, celebrity and lifestyle coverage

By entering your details, you are agreeing to HELLO! Magazine User Data Protection Policy. You can unsubscribe at any time. For more information, please click here.

More Royalty

See more