What do you make of the moment when Kate shrugged William's hand on a Christmas show in 2019? The sugars use this to show how they actually hate each other, but I've always thought Kate just reacted immediately because they never did PDA and she was caught by surprise, as in to say "what are you doing? we're working"
I've been following the BRF since the Sussex drama, so I don't have decades the reflect on, but from what I've seen, it really seemed there was a no PDA rule. They also appeared much stuffy, even towards each other, with Kate standing straighter, making sure she was walking behind William, often keeping her hands in front of her as if to protect herself. But the last years, the seem more at ease in public, allowing some hands on the back here and there. And I've actually been wondering if H&M overdoing it with the PDA meant the BRF could actually relax a bit and allow some touching without looking unprofessional.
There isn’t a “no PDA” rule. The rule is that everyone is expected to be professional at work. And PDA - over the top PDA like the Sussexes - is not professional behavior in any industry, in any profession, in any country in the world.
William and Kate are affectionate and playful with each other. They always have been, long before Meghan had Harry in her claws:
Before their engagement:
L - Graduating St. Andrews in 2005
C - Saying hello at polo in 2006
R - Paparazzi catching them making out. Date unknown, suspected sometime 2009 (based on William's hair).
Newlyweds:
L - Canada, July 2011
C - Edinburgh, July 2011
R - London Olympics 2012
Early Parenthood:
L - Christmas Walk, December 2013
C - Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, July 2014
R - Rugby World Cup, September 2015
Before the Love Bomb:
L - Hiking in India, April 2016 (there's a well-known story from royal reporters on the India trip that William and Kate were close and affectionate until they spotted the reporters and photographers. Once they saw the royal rota, they immediately separated and became more formal/professional.)
C - Private family ski trip, February 2016
R - Canada, September 2016
Before Meghan made her official debut with Harry and the BRF:
L - Heads Together awareness event, February 2017
R - Wimbledon Men's Final, July 2017
And no, I didn't see "the incident" as Kate shrugging off William's hand because it was PDA. I see that moment as Kate adjusting her position in her seat and William briefly touching her. If you watch the clip, you'll notice that Kate's whole body wiggles; her shoulders, her trunk, and her legs. William just happened to touch her in that same moment. If she was shrugging him off, if she was recoiling from his touch, only her shoulder would have moved. It was a harmless, normal moment that happens to everyone.
Others may see it differently, and that's fine.
Harry and Meghan overdoing it with the PDA didn't open any doors for anyone to be more affectionate or show more affection. All they did was highlight the difference between working professionals who a) know they're on the job, b) know their roles for the job, and c) know that their job is bigger than their individual needs and people who think their love and togetherness is more important than the job.
Daniel Ricciardo and tennis – a masterpost (of sorts).
To start things off, here is a video of Daniel playing tennis that I think about way too often, especially lately, with the recent paddle mania that took over the paddock.
A few things I could note here, apart from the fact that Daniel himself said that if it wasn't racing, he'd go pro in tennis:
old school-ish (european) one handed backhand which is actually rather solid! Daniel said many times that he is a big fan of Federer (a true goat) and Daniel's technique here is pretty much imitating Roger's smooth and satisfying backhand strokes.
it is just a couple of hits but ball placement court wise in not bad - all past the half court mark, down the line, then cross court and close to the baseline.
his movement on the court itself comes off a bit wonky in comparison to regular players but I do like how he attacks the short ball (even if he swings a bit too wide but it still works).
Some assortment of interesting facts:
Apart from his love for Roger Federer, Daniel was a big Andre Agassi fan.
In 2021 Daniel and Lando stayed up to watch British teenage tennis player Emma Raducanu (who is an avid F1 fan and her fave driver is Daniel) win the US Open, her maiden grand slam tournament. This was right before the win in Monza and McLaren 1-2.
In 2020, Daniel took inspiration for his "Equality" face mask from the four time grand slam winner Naomi Osaka and called her a "strong voice" (which she rightfully was). Lewis Hamilton also considered Naomi a great inspiration in raising awareness of several social issues.
When Daniel was a kid, he would smash his racquet if he lost (that's so real of him and i do that too):
Ricciardo is widely regarded as motorsport’s nice guy. But when does the mongrel come out?
"I’m a born competitor. As a kid I was a sore loser. If it was a tennis match, I’d smash a racquet or something," he said, laughing. (source)
Once Daniel was playing with his cousin and apparent he got a little outplayed, so in retaliation Daniel hit his cousin point blank with a tennis ball (which hurts A LOT). His cousin cried and then Daniel's dad gave him "a clip across the ear". Daniel also talks about it in one of the Grill the Grid videos. (big thanks to @go-daniel for finding the article and the video to back this story up!)
Daniel is childhood friends with Marcus Stoinis (an Aussie cricketer) and they grew up together playing tennis, driving to Dunsborough south of Perth and they would play tennis together for the whole day, practically hogging the court. (via this post)
Now, to the photos!
Carlos and Daniel playing a tennis match in 2013. Daniel won 6-3 2-6 7-6. It's from Daniel's old twitter post.
Daniel and Jannik Sinner in Piatti Tennis Center in 2020. Jannik is an Italian darling and current world number 3 on the steady rise to the top (i love my carrot boy so much).
Daniel on court.
Daniel attending semifinals of Wimbledon 2021.
Daniel with Juan Martín del Potro during Miami 2023 Grand Prix. Del Potro, now retired, was a prominent tennis player from Argentina, a "gentle giant" and he is also a fan of Fernando Alonso.
Daniel with Matteo Berrettini (and Francesco Carrozzini in the middle), Italian tennis player, current world number 142, during Met Gala 2023 (the way i yelled when this photo dropped omg).
It is all I have managed to gather for now but I will update if I stumble upon something new.
irwanmussry: It’s true that I’m here for Wimbledon but now this is becoming more of a Formula 1 week for me. So happy to have met Sebastian Vettel today, one truly remarkable driver who has such a fine soul. He is one of the most successful drivers in Formula One history with his four World Drivers' Championship titles won consecutively from 2010 to 2013. He was also the youngest World Champion, which still blows my mind today!
The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, holds a prominent place in the world of sports. The historic institution is renowned for hosting the oldest and most prestigious tennis tournament in the world - Wimbledon Championships.
The Princess of Wales' presence in the Royal Box and normal seating has been a permanent fixture at the Tennis Championships since she married Prince William in 2011. Catherine who plays the Tennis herself and is an avid fan, became the Club's honourary member in 2013. She became its patron in 2016, when Queen Elizabeth passed down some of her patronages to younger royals.
Founded in 1868 as the 'All England Croquet Club', the establishment's initial focus was on the sport of croquet. However, the growing popularity of tennis led to the addition of tennis courts in 1875 and soon its name changed to the 'All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club.' Croquet gradually disappeared from public life but the Club still retained its name.
The club's steadfast commitment to both tennis led to the creation of the Wimbledon Championships in 1877. The AELTC - its subsidiary body is responsible for the day-to-day working of Wimbledon and other smaller tournaments.
The club has 375 full members, 100 temporary playing members, and a number of honorary members. At Church Road, there are 18 tournament grass courts, eight American clay courts, two acrylic courts, and six indoor courts. There are also 22 Aorangi Park grass courts, which serve as competitors' practice courts before and during The Championships.
The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club stands as a testament to the enduring legacy of a sport that marries tradition with innovation. Its role in hosting the Wimbledon Championships cements its place in history and its continued relevance in the world of tennis. As players step onto its hallowed grass courts and spectators revel in the atmosphere, the club's significance as a hub of excellence and tradition remains steadfast.
“Obviously Tennis was always a popular sport and Wimbledon has always been favourite summer event, but I think Princess Catherine is the one who made it a go-to event for royals (especially the ladies). The late Queen attended like 5 or 6 times in 70 years. Queen Camilla didn't attend until 2011. Duchess of Edinburgh started going in 2013. I'm not saying Princess Catherine invented it at all, but she definitely got her in-laws to start caring about it more.” - Submitted by Anonymous
If you're right and Kate isn't going to Wimbledon then she probably wouldn't be going to Polo either😭
Maybe. But I think Wimbledon and polo are two different things.
Wimbledon is out in the direct midday sun, Kate sitting front and center, being in charge and hosting, and having to work and be "on" for two days straight.
Polo, on the other hand, is much more low-key. She can hide from cameras in the tents, there's a lot more shade, it's easier to stay hydrated, she doesn't have to be as "on" and can just spectate with friends.
But both events have a lot of people around (though polo might be easier for Kate to keep her distance from bigger crowds) and that might be a point of concern for her and her doctors since there was speculation she didn't do Garter Day because it was a bigger group of people.
So polo is the easier, less taxing outing for Kate so the odds are good there, but she does love Wimbledon and has only missed it once before (in 2013), so their odds are good too.
3 days of the tennis left. Manifesting Matthew to make an appearance at Wimbledon 🍀.
📷 Matthew Goode in the Royal Box at Wimbledon, 9th July 2019. Pictures purchased under license by @alyssa-ty (tumblr) (from matthew-goode.net), my collage.
Matthew Goode & Tennis Part 2 🎾🥎🍓
Matthew has donned tennis whites in various roles although Bob seemed to be more into smoking, drinking, and swearing down the phone and Pink Shirtmaker had an interesting take on tennis wear.
📷 From top left clockwise: The Offer (2022), Stoker (2013), A Life in the Pink advert (2019), Match Point (2009) my edit
crying my fucking eyes out at andy murray’s tribute.
my mum introduced me to tennis 13 years ago and therefore introduced me to andy (duh we’re 🏴). we followed his career together, screamed the house down in 2013 when he won his first wimbledon, and again in 2016. i have hilarious text messages we exchanged during his gold medal match in 2016 with del potro, we were so stressed. it’s something we shared together and now seeing him months off of his retirement is so emotional, i am honestly inconsolable.
thank you andy so much for your amazing career. it was both incredibly joyful and stressful to watch. ❤️