Duchess Meghan’s Interest In Lawn Bowling Could Make The Sport Trendy Again
Meghan Markle is showing interest in a game played all over English villages, mostly by older folks, but people think that her nod could bring its popularity back.
Express reports that from the window at Frogmore Cottage, Duchess Meghan can see the lawn bowling games played by the Royal Household Bowling Club, and after watching from the house, she strolled over to introduce herself.
A source says the duchess was so interested she went over to chat with players. One observer from the team said that Duchess Meghan stopped to talk to two female players to say that she had been watching the fun.
“Meghan remarked to the two players how elegant the game looked.”
A few years ago, Queen Elizabeth had spotted a game while being driven, and stopped for some air and to introduce herself to members of the Brimfield and Little Hereford Bowling Club. Brimfield player David Evans explained that the players got a bit nervous with the monarch watching.
“It was a total surprise to the team. She told us she had taken some fresh air and asked if it was OK for her to watch the game. She watched us play for around 30 minutes in all, there was quite a lot of pressure on us to perform in front of her.”
Meghan Markle has become a surprising ‘fan of bowls’ https://t.co/TXGgNpScRa
— The Sun (@TheSun) July 21, 2019
Chief executive of Bowls England, Tony Allcock, is a former world champion who was awarded an OBE for his services to bowls in last month’s Queen’s birthday honors list. He believes that Meghan Markle’s interest could reinvigorate the sport, proving that it’s not just for senior citizens.
Allcock explains that the sport is for all ages, and recently, those in their 30s and 40s have been coming around to watch, perhaps attracted by the fact that you can wear shorts and casual clothing.
“We have made huge strides in the game in recent years, and having someone of the duchess’s profile being interested would be a marvelous way to encourage those of younger generations to try bowls. They would find it tremendously rewarding.”
Lawn bowling has been played by royalty since the 14th century, and well-known monarch Henry VIII was said to be a “keen bowler.”
The Washington Park Lawn Bowling Club explains that lawn bowling is called different things around the world, and though there can be slight differences in the rules, the game is similar to boccie and boulles, which is the French name for bowls, which is the shorthand name for lawn bowling.
