After weeks of hopeful speculation, we have an answer: Kate Middleton, a Wimbledon standby since her marriage to Prince William in 2011, will be in the stands of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club this weekend. It will be her second public appearance of the year, following her attendance at Trooping the Colour in June.
As you of course know, Kate Middleton stepped away from royal duties in January, after a planned surgery led to the diagnosis of an undisclosed cancer. The princess left our view as she underwent treatment, but joined King Charles III, Queen Camilla, and her husband on the balcony of Buckingham Palace on June 15 for the annual military event.
“My treatment is ongoing and will be for a few more months,” Middleton said then, noting that she is “making good progress, but as anyone going through chemotherapy will know, there are good days and bad days.”
Novak Djokovic of Serbia receives the Men’s Singles Runner’s Up Trophy from Catherine, Princess of Wales following his defeat in the Men’s Singles Final against Carlos Alcaraz of Spain on day fourteen of The Championships Wimbledon 2023.
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The Princess is currently having some of those good days, news from Kensington Palace suggests. According to the office of the Prince and Princess of Wales, Middleton will attend Wimbledon on Sunday for the men’s final between Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic in her role as the patron of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, a position she’s held since 2016. (The princess is also a talented amateur player, 2021 U.S. Open women’s singles winner Emma Raducanu says.)
Last month, All England Club chair Debbie Jevans said she hoped Middleton be well enough to attend this year’s Wimbledon tournament, saying then that “We’re hopeful that the Princess of Wales will be able to present the trophies as the Club’s patron, but her health and recovery is the priority. We don’t know what we don’t know. All we’ve said is that we’ll work with her and give her as much flexibility as possible.”
Middleton raised hopes that she might attend at least part of the tournament last week, when she congratulated player Andy Murray for his final Wimbledon match. “An incredible Wimbledon career comes to an end,” she wrote in an Instagram story posted to the account she shares with William. “You should be so very proud @andymurray. On behalf of all of us, thank you!”
Part of the flexibility Jevans mentioned will be Middleton’s decision to skip Saturday’s women’s finals. Instead, Kensington Palace said via statement, “At the request of Her Royal Highness The Princess of Wales, Patron of The All England Lawn Tennis Club, the trophies will be presented on court by Deborah Jevans CBE, Chair of The All England Lawn Tennis Club.” Jevans will be joined by “Sally Bolton OBE, Chief Executive of The All England Lawn Tennis Club (and) Sandi Procter, President of the LTA,” the statement continued.
Novak Djokovic of Serbia is presented with the trophy by Catherine Duchess of Cambridge after winning his Men’s Singles final against Roger Federer of Switzerland during Day thirteen of The Championships – Wimbledon 2019.
Shaun Botterill/Getty Images
When Middleton takes her seat in the Royal Box on Sunday, she’ll be doing it without her husband at her side. William, who is the president of the country’s Football Association, will be in Berlin to attend the final match of the 2024 European Championships, between England and Spain’s national teams. According to Kensington Palace, William will be joined at the match by Sir Keir Starmer, who last week was elected the U.K.’s third prime minister in two years.
And if all goes well, the entire nation might have Monday off: According to the BBC, Starmer is mulling a possible bank holiday the day after the match, should England be victorious. “We should certainly mark the occasion,” Starmer said, but refused to say more as he didn’t want to “jinx it.”
William, however, seems less superstitious about the game, posting on social media, “We are so proud of you all @england, just one last push to finish the job!”
“Go out there and show the world what you’re made of,” the prince continued. “We believe.”
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