Just days after Meghan Markle caused a stir when she made a surprise appearance at Wimbledon, the Duchess of Cornwall has stepped out to attend the event.
Unlike the Duchess of Sussex, Camilla was more than happy to speak to fans and meet with players during her outing.
Sporting a white dress, cream heels and holding a fan, the 71-year-old was the epitome of elegance and class.
Last week, Meghan Markle watched close pal Serena Williams in action. However, her appearance quickly turned sour when royal protection officers repeatedly asked spectators to stop taking photos around Meghan.
Meghan’s bodyguards said she was attending Wimbledon in a “private capacity” and warned tennis fans against taking pictures of the Duchess to allow her to “engage with people rather than camera phones”, royal sources told Daily Mail.
But many have questioned the validity of this tack after the match on Court 1 was watched by 12,000 in situ with millions tuning in on TV.
British journalist Sally Jones was observing the game from the stands of Court 1 when she was approached by a member of the royal security team.
“I felt this tap on my shoulder and was asked not take pictures of the Duchess – but I had no idea she was there until then. I was absolutely gobsmacked,” the former BBC and ITV sports reporter told Daily Mail.
Looking across the stand, Ms Jones spotted the 37-year-old Duchess flanked by her two friends, with a protection officer and her personal assistant seated in the row behind, and noted: “[Meghan] was clearly looking around, looking to see who was looking at her.”
Ms Jones asked Meghan’s bodyguard if he planned to do anything about the “200 plus photographers and television cameras” taking professional photographs of Prince Harry‘s wife, and dubbed the move “another example of silly control freakery”.
“There is now a clear sense that Harry, Meghan and their team see themselves more as A-list celebrities rather than royals carrying out their duties,” Ms Jones said, noting the stark contrast between the Duchess of Sussex’s diva display and Kate Middleton‘s attendance at Wimbledon two days earlier.
