Princess Kate's family mourn death of close friend Tim Henman's dad who dies aged 84

Tony Henman and his wife Jane sit alongside the Middletons (Image: Getty)

Princess Kate's family are mourning the loss of a close friend. Tim Henman's father, Tony, aged 84, died on Friday. He had been known to have shared a close bond with the The Middletons, especially parents Carole and Michael.

Tony and his wife Jane were even guests at Prince William and Kate's Royal nuptials at Westminster Abbey in 2011.

The two families were familiar faces together at Wimbledon over the years thanks to this intimate friendship. The Daily Mail reports that Jane gave Carole advice on handling the intense publicity both women experienced as mothers of famous offspring.

This eventually led to them pairing up for doubles tennis matches.

Tim was frequently spotted alongside Kate during her Wimbledon appearances in recent years. As a former semi-finalist at the All-England club four times, it made sense for him to accompany the princess.

The Middletons, including siblings Kate and Pippa, are known to be fervent fans of tennis and hold regular seats at SW19 throughout the events, reports the Mirror.

However, there was once an uncomfortable incident involving Kate's father Michael at the event. Kate confessed during the 2017 BBC documentary, Our Wimbledon hosted by sports presenter Sue Barker, that she was "mortified" after an embarrassing blunder involving her dad.

Kate Middleton shared an amusing anecdote with Sue about her father's encounter with Tim Henman, revealing: "My father is not going to appreciate this, but we were walking past Tim Henman and we had just seen [Pete] Sampras play. My dad said very coolly: 'Hi Pete'. I was mortified! ".

In the midst of Kate's ongoing battle with cancer, the Royal Family continues to fulfil their duties. Prince William embarks on his inaugural official trip to the Isles of Scilly as the Duke of Cornwall today.

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His Royal Highness has a busy schedule, starting with engagements in Newquay today before heading to the Isles of Scilly tomorrow. He will also visit Nansleden in Newquay on Thursday to see where the Duchy of Cornwall's pioneering homeless housing initiative will take shape, in partnership with the Cornish charity St Petrocs.

This project aims to provide 24 homes complete with comprehensive support for those without shelter. The Prince is set to meet with the development team and Henry Meacock, CEO of St Petrocs, as construction is slated to commence in September this year, with the Duchy providing the necessary land.

Additionally, William will grace Fistral beach with his presence, meeting with the groups dedicated to its preservation.

On Friday, Prince William will make his first official visit to the Isles of Scilly since he assumed the title of Duke of Cornwall in September 2022. His itinerary includes a stop at St Mary's harbour, which falls under the Duchy's management and serves as a crucial hub for passengers and vessels.

He will engage with the harbour staff and later visit St Mary's Community Hospital.