Home > HEIRS & SPARES > ARCHIE

Prince Louis Gets ‘Priceless Gift’ From Tennis Star at Wimbledon — But Archie Is Not Missing Out

Prince Louis's cheeky antics at public events have left royal fans super eager to see him at Wimbledon this year. While his older siblings, Prince George and Princess Charlotte, have already attended the iconic tennis tournament, Louis has yet to make his debut in the royal box. While Louis has yet to grace the mega event, he has managed to catch the attention of tennis legend Stan Smith, who gifted him a pair of limited-edition Adidas sneakers, which he personally handed Kate Middleton at Wimbleton in 2019.

The Princess of Wales, who has only missed Wimbledon once in 2013, attended the 2019 matches in a chic blue ensemble. Seated just a row ahead of Smith, she caught his eye, and the tennis star was visibly delighted to see her again. Sharing the thought process behind the gift, Smith told GQ, "I saw photographs of the Duchess of Cambridge wearing the shoe, and I once had the chance to chat to her at Wimbledon. I actually gave some shoes to the Duke and Duchess for George, Charlotte, and Louis." He added, "I presented a shoe to her at the Wimbledon tournament... I gave Prince Louis a baby-sized Stan, which said, 'To Louis from Stan Smith' on it."

As reported by Marie Claire, Smith had famously won the 1972 Wimbledon Men’s Singles Championship and the 1971 US Open, which had Adidas releasing their first sneaker featuring his name in 1973, a line that still carries his initials to this day. Smith and Middleton were seated in the royal box during the Men’s Singles final between Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic. Her other two children, George and Charlotte, had not made their Wimbledon debut at the time. 

It seems Smith has a soft spot for royal children, as he has also gifted Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s son, Prince Archie, the same limited-edition sneakers. In the same interview, the tennis legend dished, "I actually also gifted the baby sneakers to the Duchess of Sussex for her son, Archie, through the Arlington Club. I got a letter of thanks, which means she got it and, interestingly, I've always heard that the Queen has to approve all gifts, so that makes it royally approved by Her Majesty." Unsurprisingly, Markle has reciprocated her admiration for Smith, as she has been spotted in Stan Smith edition sneakers at various charity events, the airport, and even on a 2018 trip to New Zealand with Harry.

As for Smith’s thoughts on the royals, the tennis legend had nothing but praise. He spoke warmly of the Prince and Princess of Wales, saying, "They were very gracious. The Duchess is big on tennis, and I'm sure she's about to become the face of Wimbledon, like the Duchess of Kent was when I won the tournament way back when." Whether Middleton will attend the 2025 Wimbledon matches remains uncertain, especially after her unexpected cancellation at Royal Ascot.