Young people meet the royals
When Meghan Markle visted the 2016 Championships to watch her friend Serena Williams win the ladies’ singles title, she was able to do so under the radar.
Two years and one royal wedding later, the American former actress, now the Duchess of Sussex following her wedding to Prince Harry, visited The Championships for the first time as a member of the British royal family.
The Duchess of Sussex, wearing long flared cream trousers and a blue-and-white shirt, was joined by the Duchess of Cambridge, Patron of the All England Club, in their first joint appearance at The Championships on Saturday.
Accompanied by Club Chairman Philip Brook, the two duchesses talked to some of the young people involved in this year’s Championships, including the American girls’ doubles finalists Caty McNally and Whitney Osuigwe, wheelchair players Lucy Shuker of Great Britain and KG Montjane of South Africa, as well as four ball boys and girls.
They also spoke to 11-year-old Tia Carter, who will be performing the pre-match coin toss at the ladies’ singles final, representing the Royal Air Force, 100 years old this year, and the RAF Benevolent Fund, which assists children and young people growing up around RAF stations in the UK.
Tia was accompanied by her father, Wayne, who serves at RAF Brize Norton. Her mother, Joyce, also served in the RAF before her sudden death in November.
Tia has been supported by Airplay, the RAF Benevolent Fund's flagship youth support scheme, as she tries to come to terms with her loss.
“It’s really fitting that an RAF child has been chosen to perform the coin toss for the RAF’s centenary year,” said Alison Wyman, head of welfare programme and development at the RAF Benevolent Fund. “We’re really excited for Tia; she deserves a treat given the past year given how devastating it must have been to lose a parent at such a young age.”
“It was really exciting” to meet two members of the royal family, Tia told wimbledon.com, before adding she was “very nervous” about doing the coin toss in front of so many people.