Princess Kate Middleton broke Royal protocol with Roger Federer ahead of Wimbledon final

Princess Kate Middleton is a Wimbledon regular, but once broke royal protocol with tennis legend Roger Federer leaving fans shocked.

Federer and the Princess have grown to be good friends over the years, with the Swiss star now accompanying her Royal Highness in the stands following his retirement from tennis in 2022.

Federer won Wimbledon eight times during his career including five consecutive titles between 2003-2007.

The 43-year-old's most recent Wimbledon triumph came in 2017 where he broke the record for most men's titles after beating Croatian Marin Cilic in three straight sets.

Middleton was in attendance with Prince William to watch the historic final and was seen breaking royal protocol when congratulating Federer on his achievement.

Kate Middleton and Roger Federer in 2023 (credit: getty)

This was due to Kate greeting Federer with three kisses rather than one or two, with the reasoning theorised as three kisses being a tradition in Federer's home nation of Switzerland.

The tennis legend has previously spoken about his relationship with the Princess and revealed her frequent Wimbledon appearances are not solely down to royal duty.

“I know her quite well. She is an avid tennis fan, and she plays herself," Federer confirmed.

What Kate Middleton told Amanda Anisimova after whitewash defeat

Middleton was in attendance for this year's women's final on Saturday which saw Amanda Anisimova lose to Iga Swiatek without winning a single match.

Following the match, Anisimova shared what the Princess told her immediately after the defeat.

“It was such an honor to meet her. I wasn’t sure if she was gonna come out today," she began.

"It was really nice to see her. She definitely had a few things to say that were making me emotional again.

"But she was really kind and told me to keep my head high. Don’t want to reveal everything she said to me, but I also spoke to her again after the match because I passed by her.

"She had all the best to say to me. So it was a positive of today and I can try and focus on that and not the match," the runner-up added.