A staple on Kate Middleton’s summer calendar is not off the table as she continues her cancer treatment.
The Princess of Wales, 42, regularly attends Wimbledon and is known for awarding trophies at the tennis tournament as the patron of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club. Although she has kept out of the public eye amid her treatment, Wimbledon organizers are reportedly hopeful that she will be able to continue the tradition at the event this year.
Club chair Debbie Jevans told Telegraph Sport that they will give Princess Kate “as much flexibility as possible,” with the outlet reporting the call on who will present the trophies may not be made until the morning of the finals.
READ: Why Kate Middleton’s Appearance At Trooping The Colour Isn’t A Return To Royal Duties Amid Cancer Treatment
The Princess of Wales has largely remained out of the public eye in 2024, recovering from her abdominal surgery in January before revealing in March that post-operative tests found cancer and that she was undergoing chemotherapy. She stepped back into the spotlight for her first public engagement with the royals since Christmas at Trooping the Colour on June 15. However, palace aides emphasized that the outing for King Charles’ birthday parade did not signal a return to public life. No date is set for when she will fully return to her royal work.
Since her appearance at Trooping the Colour, Princess Kate skipped events that she usually would attend such as Garter Day, Royal Ascot and the Japan state visit. The royal also appeared to stay home when Prince William celebrated his birthday on June 21 at Taylor Swift’s London concert with Prince George and Princess Charlotte, posing for a selfie with the pop star.
Queen Elizabeth served as patron of the All England Lawn Tennis Club from 1952 until 2016, when she passed the baton on to her granddaughter-in-law. The avid tennis player and fan has attended the Grand Slam competition almost every year since marrying Prince William in 2011 — she even wanted to see the live tennis action in 2013 while “very heavily pregnant” with son Prince George, but doctors advised against it.
Princess Kate stepped onto Centre Court to hand out the trophies in the years since, including to the winners of the women’s and men’s singles finals in 2023. For the match between Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz and Serbia’s Novak Djokovic, she sat front row of the Royal Box with Prince William and their two eldest children, Prince George and Princess Charlotte. The outing marked Princess Charlotte’s debut at Wimbledon, while Prince George also attended the event in 2022.
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