SERENA WILLIAMS has revealed her pride at being part of the African-American influence at the Royal Wedding.
But the tennis legend is a bit sheepish about being called the queen of tennis now that her friend Meghan Markle is a duchess!
Williams and husband Alexis Ohanian joined Oprah Winfrey and other guests at St George’s Chapel in Windsor where African American pastor Michael Curry gave a moving address and a gospel choir performed.
Williams said: “It was really exciting to see so much African-American culture impacted in the wedding, and I was really happy that Meghan wanted to incorporate that into it.
“I think it was just a whole cultural shift and change. It was seeing how far African-Americans have come, I thought it was an incredibly inspiring and beautiful and really motivating thing.
“I was so proud of her and so happy for her.”
Williams was speaking in Paris after winning her first-round match at the French Open – her comeback to Grand Slam tennis after giving birth to daughter Alexis Olympia last September.
Sponsors Nike have billed her return on posters throughout the city as “The Queen Is Back” – to the slight embarrassment of the 23-time Grand Slam winner.
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Williams, who has been practising for two months since her struggling in her initial comeback in March, said: “Nike came up with ‘The Queen Is Back’ idea right when I decided I was going to come back.
“And so it’s kind of interesting how it all tied into the wedding and then I felt a little awkward, because now, you know, Meghan is royalty and I have known her for so many years, and I’m like, I’m not — now she’s a princess.
“A duchess, I should say, excuse me.”
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