The Princess of Wales was mic'd up at Wimbledon while watching British hopeful Arthur Fery, and her conversations with BBC star and former player Tim Henman were shared by the tournament.
Conversations Picked Up by Mics
While sitting next to Henman and All England Lawn and Tennis Club Chair Debbie Jevans on Court 18, their conversations were captured by microphones. Wimbledon shared the audio as part of their 'Overheard at Wimbledon' series.
In one exchange, Princess Kate remarked: 'Early on in the week, the court is so pristine.' Henman then discussed the evolution of tennis, saying: 'When we look back, kind of late 90s, early 2000s, it was a bit of a serving competition.' The Princess replied: 'It was, yeah. You remember Sampras?' referring to seven-time Wimbledon champion Pete Sampras. Henman, who lost to Sampras six times, smiled and said: 'Yeah, I do remember him.'
Three Peaks Challenge and Royal Marsden Charity
The Princess also discussed her recent completion of the Three Peaks Challenge, saying: 'I did it in 24 hours, yeah. That was the challenge anyway, but I think part of the journey was trying to enjoy the process.' She added: 'The weather was atrocious. I mean, everybody got soaked through, but it was a very sort of stoically British thing to do.'
When asked about the charity she supported, she said: 'Yes, so it was for The Royal Marsden Cancer charity. I have just been so blown away by all of the donations. Everyone's been so generous.' The Royal Marsden is the same hospital where she received cancer treatment in 2024.
Tennis Knowledge and Humor
After a 136 mph serve, Princess Kate asked Henman: 'What was your top speed?' Henman replied: '146,' then added: 'Kilometres per hour.' She responded: 'Of course.' During a point, she exclaimed: 'Oh, lovely shot. But he got there.' After the point, she joined the applause, saying: 'Lovely! That is seriously good tennis. Lovely.'
Fery, 23, won his second-round match against Otto Virtanen in four sets (5-7, 7-6, 6-3, 6-3) and has since advanced to the quarter-finals, where he will face Flavio Cobolli on Wednesday.
