Kate to become patron of All England Club
The Duchess of Cambridge is set to take on a prestigious tennis role as The Queen prepares to hand over two of her most high-profile patronages.
Kate Middleton will become patron of the All England Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club, which hosts the Wimbledon championships - after Her Majesty enjoyed 64 years in the role, Daily Mail reported.
As a lifelong tennis fan, the 34-year-old royal is likely to be thrilled following the move - the latest that suggests the Queen is preparing to cut down her workload ahead of her 90th birthday this year.
According to the Sunday Times, the Duchess's patronage is likely to be officially announced during the tennis championships this summer.
Meanwhile, sources suggest Prince Harry, 31, is poised to take over as patron of the Rugby Football Union (RFU) who governs English rugby, a title that the Queen has held for 65 years.
Ahead of her landmark birthday on 21 April, she is thought to be reconsidering the amount of time she devotes to each of the charities and organisations she is involved with.
And as part of that change, Buckingham Palace is undergoing something of a reshuffle.
As well as the Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry, it has been rumoured that Prince William, 33, will take over as patron of the Football Association, while the Countess of Wessex will also share the load with a major new role.
A source told the Sunday Times: 'The Queen is mindful that she does not want organisations with which she is associated to think that when she turns 90, that's it - it's goodbye. That will not be the case at all.'
While Kate is a regular face in the royal box at Wimbledon, the Queen has attended the championships just three times since her first appearance in 1957.
And Prince Harry is a natural choice for the role of patron of the RFU, having held the title of vice-patron for almost six years and being a keen rugby fan himself.
Sources have suggested the handover was deliberately delayed so that it would not look like a consequence of England's disappointing performance in last year's Rugby World Cup.
While Harry and William are often seen cheering England on in the stadium, the Queen has not publicly attended an England rugby match for more than 20 years.
Despite her 90th birthday falling in April this year, officially celebrations will take place in June.
Some 10,000 people are expected to gather on the Mall for a street party of epic proportions on 12 June, including representatives from the 628 charities and organisations she works with.
The Queen is not alone in passing on responsibility as she enters her tenth decade; Prince Philip recently stepped down as patron of the Air Training Corps, passing the title onto the Duchess of Cambridge.
The 94-year-old continues his work with 780 charities and organisations.
Photo:popsugar.com
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