The real star of Wimbledon: No, not Pippa... it’s the ever-elegant Duchess of Kent who’s always won hearts

  • The Duchess made a rare public appearance at the royal box on Thursday
  • The 84-year-old has been handing out trophies at Wimbledon since 1969
  • She famously comforted Jana Novotna when she lost the final in 1993 

By Emily Kent Smith And Ben Wilkinson For The Daily Mail

Published: 18:32 EDT, 14 July 2017 | Updated: 20:56 EDT, 14 July 2017

For years she was a much-loved face at Wimbledon, handing out trophies with warmth and grace – and known for her compassion when losing players needed comfort.

And the ever-elegant Duchess of Kent, who has largely withdrawn from public life, made a welcome appearance in the royal box at Wimbledon yesterday.

The 84-year-old, whose husband the Duke of Kent is the Queen’s cousin, was seen smiling and clapping as she watched Roger Federer reach the final after beating Tomas Berdych on Centre Court.

The Duchess of Kent made a rare public appearance at Wimbledon's royal box yesterday

The Duchess of Kent made a rare public appearance at Wimbledon's royal box yesterday

The Duke and Duchess of Kent began presenting the winners trophies in 1969

The Duke and Duchess of Kent began presenting the winners trophies in 1969

The duchess, who wore a stylish blue coat with green flowers, spent the day with the Duke of York and Princess Michael of Kent, but her husband, who is president of the All England Lawn Tennis Club, was not there.

The Duke and Duchess of Kent began presenting the winners trophies in 1969, when he became president. 

The BBC will put a nation out of its misery after the men’s final tomorrow by unveiling Peter Capaldi’s successor as Doctor Who. Bookies have Death in Paradise star Kris Marshall as 10/11 favourite to play the 13th Time Lord.

But the duchess has not done so since 2001 – when she handed a trophy to Venus Williams – after giving up royal duties.

In 1993 she won hearts with her natural warmth as she hugged Jana Novotna, who burst into tears after losing to former world number one Steffi Graf.

She was also praised for her resilience when she walked out to present trophies despite having a cast on her foot one year. 

She famously comforted Jana Novotna when she lost the Wimbledon final to Steffi Graf in 1993

She famously comforted Jana Novotna when she lost the Wimbledon final to Steffi Graf in 1993

And in 1978, the duchess was moved when Martina Navratilova won her first Wimbledon but none of her family was there because they could not leave then-communist Czechoslovakia. 

Ticket prices for the finals have slumped by thousands of pounds after British hopefuls Johanna Konta and Andy Murray were knocked out. 

One online exchange, StubHub, said prices fell by 18 per cent for the men’s finals and 35 per cent for the women’s finals.

She said she would do anything she could to reunite her with her family – and the following year, the duchess helped get Navratilova’s mother a UK visa.

It has been more than 20 years since the duchess dropped the title of Her Royal Highness. In 1994, she converted to Catholicism, for which the Queen gave approval.

She has been described by those close to her as shy and reclusive. She taught music at a primary school for almost ten years without her identity being known by her pupils, who called her ‘inspirational’. 

The duke remains the tennis club’s president, while the Duchess of Cambridge became patron this year after the Queen stepped down from that role.

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