The little-known act of kindness that made the Duchess of Kent a Wimbledon hero - EUROPE SAYS
As royalty and sporting greats gathered in the Royal Box onCentre Court once again today, it is impossible not to remember oneof Wimbledon’s most beloved royal figures – the late Duchess ofKent. While King. . .
As royalty and sporting greats gathered in the Royal Box onCentre Court once again today, it is impossible not to remember oneof Wimbledon’s most beloved royal figures – the late Duchess ofKent. While King Frederik X of Denmark made a low-key appearance amongSunday’s distinguished guests,for many tennis fans the royalmost closely associated with Wimbledon will always be the Duchessof Kent. For more than three decades, she became an iconic presence atThe Championships, presenting trophies to champions with warmth,dignity and genuine affection. Yet away from the cameras, she alsoused her position to change lives. One of the most remarkable examples came when she quietly helpedreunite tennis legend Martina Navratilova with her mother afteryears of separation during the Cold War. A champion forced to leave homeWhen Martina Navratilova defected from communist Czechoslovakiato the United States in 1975, she was just 18 years old and alreadyone of tennis’s brightest talents. Her decision to seek political asylum came at an enormouspersonal cost. She was stripped of her Czechoslovak citizenship andprevented from returning home, leaving her separated from herfamily, including her mother, who remained in Prague. Although Navratilova went on to become one of the greatestplayers in tennis history, winning 18 Grand Slam singles titles and31 women’s doubles crowns, the separation from her family remaineda deeply personal heartbreak. A royal ally behind the scenesThe Duchess of Kent, who presented the Wimbledon trophies from1969 until 2001, developed close relationships with many of thesport’s leading players. She is perhaps best remembered for comforting Jana Novotná afterher emotional defeat in the 1993 Wimbledon final, but her supportextended far beyond the public moments witnessed on CentreCourt. Deeply moved by Navratilova’s circumstances, the Duchess quietlyused her influence behind the scenes in an effort to help reunitethe player with her mother. While the full diplomatic details have never been publiclydisclosed, it is widely understood that discreet approaches weremade through both British and Czech channels in support of thetennis champion. Those efforts proved successful. More than a decade after leaving her homeland, Navratilova wasfinally reunited with her mother in the late 1980s – an outcomewidely credited, in part, to the Duchess of Kent’s quietintervention. Picture by Stephen Lock /i-ImagesMore than a trophy presenterToday’s royal guests at Wimbledon are a reminder of the closelinks between the monarchy and The Championships. But few members of the Royal Family left as profound a mark onthe tournament as the Duchess of Kent. For generations of tennis fans she was the elegant royal handingover the trophies on Centre Court. For Martina Navratilova, she wassomething far more important – a compassionate friend whose quietdetermination helped reunite a family divided by politics. Tags:royalRoyal FamiliesRoyal Familyroyals