On Wednesday, the Duchess of Cambridge's mother and father, Carole and Michael Middleton, made a rare public appearance, as they turned up for a day of tennis at Wimbledon.
The couple are big tennis fans, and so are regulars at the annual event – much like their daughters Catherine and Pippa.
63-year-old Carole caught the attention of fashion fans at the event, wearing the perfect, summery white dress for Wimbledon.
The mum-of-three opted for a gorgeous white broderie anglaise dress, from designers Gerard Darel.
Carole’s ‘Destin’ dress was a perfect pick for the summery day, with its light-weight material and shorter hemline.
And amazingly, the pick was actually available from John Lewis. Reduced from £215 to £150.50, the black version of the outfit was still on sale in a few sizes, before promptly selling out after Carole stepped out in it. It seems the Middleton matriarch is following in the footsteps of her daughter’s famous ‘Kate-effect’!
However, the dress is still available on the Bloomingdales UK site for £222.38 – but with only a few sizes left, it’s selling fast. So you’ll need to be quick if you want one! Buy it from Bloomingdales here.
Credit: Bloomingdales
There are also plenty of look-a-like dresses available in the high-street, including this gorgeous £89 dress from Mint Velvet. Buy it here.
Also available is this £18 Asos dress, with a similar sleeve-length and hem-line to Carole’s pick. You can pick it up here.
After arriving at the tennis event, Catherine’s parents swiftly took their seats in the prestigious royal box, to watch the day’s matches.
Last year, Carole and daughter Pippa were noticeably absent from the exclusive seating area, instead sitting in seats beside the box.
The pair arrived too late to enter the box for Andy Murray’s match against Benoit Paire, and so were told they could not make their way in to the area reserved for athletes, VIP guests, and royals.
Royal commentators are doubtful that the Duchess of Cambridge, who is patron of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, will actually attend Wimbledon this year, given that she is still on maternity leave after the birth of Prince Louis.
It’s also unclear whether Catherine’s younger sister Pippa will go, as, despite being a keen tennis fan, she is currently heavily pregnant with her first child.
In the past, the Duchess has spoken about her family’s love of tennis, revealing that it’s something they have been involved in since she was a child.
On BBC’s Sue Baker: Our Wimbledon, last year, she said, “I have watched Wimbledon, that was very much part of my growing up,
“It’s such a quintessential part of the English summer, and I think it really inspires youngsters, myself, it inspired me, when I was younger to get involved in the game. It hasn’t changed either, I think that’s what’s so wonderful.”
Catherine also went on to reveal a secret about her mother, laughing saying, “Roger [Federer] is my mother’s heartthrob. I don’t think she will mind me saying that! I think he probably knows that too.”
