The All England Club today paid tribute to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II following the announcement that Her Majesty will be relinquishing her patronage of The All England Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club.

The Queen has been patron of The AELTC since 1952, making a memorable visit to The Championships during her Silver Jubilee year, on the occasion of Virginia Wade’s win in the Ladies’ Singles in 1977. The Queen most recently visited The Championships in 2010, during which she had the opportunity to meet with players past and present, including Andy Murray, Martina Navratilova, Roger Federer, the Williams sisters, and Billie Jean King, as well as ball boys and girls, officials, and members of the Wimbledon Junior Tennis Initiative.

“We would like to thank Her Majesty for her long and unwavering service to The Club and The Championships during her time as our Patron,” commented Philip Brook, Chairman of The AELTC and The Championships. “It was a great honour to welcome Her Majesty to Wimbledon in 2010 and we remain immensely proud of her role in the history of The Club and The Championships.

“We would like to welcome HRH The Duchess of Cambridge, who will take up The Queen’s former duties as our Patron, and also recognise with appreciation the ongoing contribution of HRH The Duke of Kent, who will continue his long-standing role as our President.”

Further details will be announced in the New Year.