Game, set and match to the Middletons: Kate and Pippa are Centre Court queens as they take front row seats in Royal box

It was arguably the hottest sporting ticket of all time.
And Britain’s high society stalwarts didn’t disappoint as they begged, borrowed and charmed their way into Centre Court yesterday to watch Andy Murray’s quest for glory.
There was a prime minister, a former England football captain and even a Time Lord. But it was, perhaps inevitably, the impeccably dressed Middleton sisters who stole the show.
Side by side, with their glossy brunette blow-dries styled to perfection, they were greeted with wolf whistles and cheers as they entered the Royal Box.

It's all over now: Pippa Middleton and her sister the Duchess of Cambridge salute Roger Federer and Andy Murray during the trophy presentation

The Duchess of Cambridge waved excitedly to fans as she and her 28-year-old sister took their front-row seats.

Kate looked as impossibly chic as ever in a cream Joseph ensemble of the £480 ‘Nessie’ tweed jacket, which debuted last year at the Epsom Derby, and a £275 crepe shift ‘Vanessa’ dress which she bought for last summer’s North American tour.

Pippa, ever the more fashion-forward, went for a Project D £350 ‘Phoebe’ frock decorated with bluebirds and designed by Dannii Minogue and Tabitha Somerset Webb.

Big fashion ticks for both the peplum style and the on-trend print. But more importantly, and most engagingly, as keen tennis fans they seemed delighted at being able to watch such a nail-biting match live.

Looking good: Come on Andy! The Middleton sisters look confident - and delighted at their front row seats

He'll do it: Both now wearing sunglasses, Kate and Pippa are clearly being dazzled by Murray's feisty play, or perhaps it was a rare spell of sunshine?

He will do it... won't he? Pippa's seeming a bit concerned, but her sister appears to have comforting words

That was close! The Duchess tensely clasps her hands but Pippa's smile suggests the action, on this occasion, went Murray's way

Even when some wag yelled from the crowd, ‘I love you, Pippa’, she was too engrossed to register. It was left to her sister to relay the information, at which both girls suffered an attack of the giggles.

As the dramatic match see-sawed towards first Murray and then Federer, they ‘ooo-ed’ and ‘aahh-ed’ with excitement and trepidation. Their faces mirrored the tense emotion felt by the whole Centre Court crowd and, when Federer finally prevailed, Kate, 30, clapped enthusiastically.

But even she, doe-eyes downcast in an attempt to control her emotions, had to bite her wobbling lip when Murray’s tears seemed to dissolve everyone else.

Their parents, Carole and Michael, were also there – in debenture seats courtesy of their friends Jane and Tony Henman (parents of Tim), with whom they play tennis.

Family affair: Kate's mother Carol and father Michael arrive at a rainy Wimbledon earlier today

Treading carefully: Clutching a leopard skin bag and sunglasses Kate heads to her seat followed by Pippa

Brushing up: Kate, left, and Pippa, right, keep their hair out of their eyes as they head to their seats in the Royal Box at Wimbledon

Emotional: Smiles, claps and flustered expressions as Kate takes shows the rollercoaster of watching Andy Murray in the Wimbledon final on her face

Meanwhile, other members of the aristocracy were putting the ‘Royal’ into the 76-seat Royal Box.
Prince Michael of Kent was there, with his indomitable wife Princess Pushy, in his role as President of the All-England Club and trophy-presenter in chief.

Lord Freddie Windsor and his actress wife Sophie Winkleman sprinkled some LA stardust but, along with the Kents, were turfed out of their normal front-row seats in favour of Kate and Pippa.
The political class was also well represented. Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond had managed to bag one of the plum seats.

Next to him and his wife Moira was London mayor Boris Johnson (who cheered and harumped loudly) with wife Marina.

Prime Minister David Cameron and London Mayor Boris Johnson as Murray slips to defeat in the fourth and final set

Completing the line-up was Nick Clegg, whose tennis-playing opponents have sometimes landed him in a political tight spot – whether it be David Cameron or News Corp lobbyist Frederic Michel.
And the Royal Box wouldn’t have been complete without the Prime Minister himself, who brought his mother Mary instead of SamCam. An avid tennis player, he joined in the ferocious clapping and yelling of Murray’s name.

Elsewhere in Centre Court were various celebrities from the world of sport, showbusiness and music.
Rupert Murdoch was there with his wife Wendi, as was Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson.Also spotted in the stands were the Beckhams, actor Jude Law, Dr Who star Matt Smith and Ronnie Wood and girlfriend Sally Humphreys.

And of course it wouldn’t have been Wimbledon without Sir Cliff Richard. Although not in the Royal Box this year, he ensured he didn’t go unnoticed thanks to his particularly atrocious Union Flag jacket.

Quick getaway: Kate and Pippa make their exit from centre court following the match

In the driving seat: Kate takes the wheel of her Range Rover as the two sisters drive away

Leaving: The siblings outside Centre Court as they depart Wimbledon following Andy Murray's final heartbreak

SO HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO GET THEIR LOOK?

Sleek: The Duchess of Cambridge's £275 crepe shift dress was previously donned on the North America tour with her husband last year

Glistening: Kate wore a pair of £495 gold and citrine earrings by Kiki McDonough - the same pair she wore last week to watch William installed into the Order of the Thistle

Striking: The Kiki McDonough citrine drop earrings, as worn by the Duchess of Cambridge

Wild: Kate's leopard-print clutch bag is a Diane von Furstenburg piece, another item recycled from her North American tour wardrobe of last July

Summery: Pippa Middleton wore a bluebird print peplum dress by Project D, the label designed by Danni Minogue and Tabitha Somerset Webb

A Buckingham Palace spokesman also revealed the Queen had kept the weekend free of engagements following her recent trip to Scotland.
The spokesman said:  'The Queen keeps up to date with the news and reads the newspapers, so she's seen Murray's progress.'
However, Prince William had a prior commitment and was not in the crowd.

Ticket prices for the final soared with online ticket marketplace Viagogo saying the average ticket sale price jumped from £3-4,000 to an average of £5-6,000.

It was in 1938 that a Briton, Bunny Austin, last made it to the men’s final at Wimbledon. Eleven others have fallen at the semi-final stage since then, with Murray having lost in that round for the last three years on the trot.
The nation awaited excitedly to see if the 25-year-old Scot could be its first champion since Fred Perry in 1936, but he crashed out in four sets to Federer.
Record television audiences watched the Briton take on the Swiss maestro.