Despite the fact that she was getting treatment for cancer, Kate Middleton made a rare public appearance in order to participate in one of her favorite summer hobbies, which was Wimbledon.
The Princess of Wales, who is 42 years old, attended the men’s singles final on July 14 with two unexpected visitors. Her daughter, Princess Charlotte, who is nine years old, and her sister, Pippa Middleton, who is forty years old, were there. Throughout the course of this year, Kate has only made two public appearances since she is concentrating on her health. In 2016, Queen Elizabeth made Kate a patron of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club. Following the match, she also delivered the trophies to the players who had competed in the competition. Djokovic was beaten by Alcaraz as follows: 6-2, 6-2, 7-6(4).
The Royal Box, which is located above Centre Court, welcomed Kate with ear-splitting applause and a standing ovation as she arrived. As she took her seat close to Charlotte and Pippa, she could be seen smiling and waving, indicating that she was clearly impacted.
During the coverage of the match that was broadcast on the BBC, the legendary tennis player John McEnroe expressed his astonishment at the fact that the Princess of Wales was competing in the finals “after what she’s been through.”
Before watching the Grand Slam final between the Spanish phenom Carlos Alcaraz and the seasoned veteran Novak Djokovic, the mother-daughter duo stopped into the clubhouse to meet with former female winners. Among those who stopped by was Emma Raducanu, who presented Kate with flowers. They also went to see the individuals who were participating in the “Work at Wimbledon” program, which gives young people the opportunity to get employment at the Wimbledon Championships.
Kate expressed her excitement about returning to Wimbledon on X, which was once known as Twitter. Nothing compares to the championships in terms of overall quality. In addition, she circulated a few photographs, one of which depicted Charlotte being presented with her very own tennis racket.
Immediately after the match, Kate expressed her admiration for Alcaraz’s “remarkable victory” and expressed her gratitude to the Wimbledon staff for their efforts. The experience that Kate and Charlotte had at the finals was subsequently shared in a movie that was shot behind the scenes.
Congratulations @carlosalcaraz on your remarkable victory.
Thank you to everyone who works so hard to make @Wimbledon the spectacle that it is 👏 🍓 🎾 pic.twitter.com/Ko99725iYR
— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) July 14, 2024
Other notable visitors that were present in the Royal Box were Tom Cruise, who is a friend of the royal family; Benedict Cumberbatch, an actor who attended Eton with Prince William; Andre Agassi, a tennis great; and Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London.
It has been announced by Kensington Palace that Kate will be present on July 13. Despite the fact that there was a possibility that she might show up for the women’s singles final on that particular day, she did not show up.
The absence of Princess Kate was due to the fact that her husband, Prince William, was participating in his own sports event. On July 14, the Prince of Wales, in his capacity as president of the Football Association, traveled to Germany in order to see the United Kingdom’s soccer team compete against Spain in the final match for the Euro 2024 tournament.
Due to the fact that she is undergoing treatment for cancer, Princess Kate has preferred to stay out of the public eye, despite the fact that she visits Wimbledon on a number of occasions each year. Following the confirmation of her illness, she made her first public appearance with the royal family at Trooping the Colour, which is an annual celebration of King Charles’ birthday. The outing comes only a few weeks after she attended the event.
An previous statement made by Wimbledon authorities expressed their hope that Kate will be able to attend and carry on the tradition of presenting trophies at this year’s tournament. During an interview with Telegraph Sport, Debbie Jevans, the president of the club, said that they would provide Princess Kate with “as much flexibility as possible,” highlighting the fact that the royal’s “health and recovery are the top priorities.”
The trophies were presented to the winners of both the men’s and women’s finals in 2023 by Princess Kate, who was present at both events. In addition, she was supported by her family for the culmination of the athletic competition. Prince George and Princess Charlotte, who was making her first appearance at Wimbledon, accompanied their father, Prince William, as they watched from the Royal Box as Kate presented the trophy to Carlos Alcaraz of Spain, who had triumphed against Novak Djokovic of Serbia.
Prior to becoming a patron of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, Kate was a frequent visitor to the Wimbledon tournament. Since she wed Prince William in 2011, the ardent tennis player has been present at the event each and every year. The only exception to this is the events that took place in 2013, when she was “heavily pregnant” with Prince George and the doctors strongly advised her not to go. A further consequence of the COVID-19 outbreak was the cancelation of Wimbledon for the year 2020.
Following the completion of her stomach surgery in January, Princess Kate made the announcement in March that post-operative testing had shown the presence of cancer and that she was now proceeding with chemotherapy. It was her prayer that she would be granted “time, space, and privacy while I finish my treatment.”
In a letter that she sent to herself on June 14, the Princess of Wales claimed that “there are good days and bad days,” but she also indicated a wish to attend “a few public engagements over the summer, but equally knowing that I am not out of the woods yet.”
As far as palace counselors are concerned, her participation in Trooping the Color in June did not constitute a return to public life. Furthermore, they have not established a timetable for when she will completely resume her royal ceremonial responsibilities. When she is able to do so, her medical team will watch her and organize any more excursions that she may need.
Since Trooping the Colour, Princess Kate has been absent from a number of royal events that she typically attends. These events include Garter Day, the Royal Ascot, and Japan’s formal visit to the United Kingdom. In addition, she seemed to be at ease when Prince William celebrated his 42nd birthday on June 21 in London, during Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour stop. Prince George and Princess Charlotte were also there for the occasion.
During the months of summer, members of the royal family often spend more time together in private than they do outside of the public eye. Over the course of the month of August, the British royal family often gathers at Balmoral Castle in Scotland, which is one of their preferred holiday destinations. An further location that Kate, William, and their children visit is Anmer Hall, which is a country home located in Norfolk.