Kate Middleton has returned to one of her favorite summer events: Wimbledon.
On Saturday, July 12, the 43-year-old Princess of Wales attended the esteemed event for the first time this season to see American tennis player Amanda Anisimova and Poland’s Iga Swiatek contest in the women’s singles final. She will thereafter award the champion their trophy.
Kate, seated in the royal box at Centre Court, maintained her current trend of tailored sophistication with a white belted blazer-style top and cream pleated skirt—a silhouette she already used earlier this week during the French state visit. As a patron, Kate donned a Wimbledon purple and green ribbon affixed to the left side of her blouse.
The exposure occurs soon after her poignant disclosures of the challenges of establishing her new normal post-cancer treatment.
On July 2, Princess Kate visited Colchester Hospital in Essex, where she openly discussed her cancer experience.
“You display a semblance of courage, exhibiting stoicism throughout the treatment.” Once the treatment is over, it is as if she can resume her usual activities, she said. “However, the subsequent phase is exceedingly challenging.”
“You must establish your new normal, which requires time; it is a tumultuous process, not as seamless as one might anticipate,” Kate said. “However, the reality is that one experiences difficult periods.”
Upon her arrival, Kate promptly congratulated women’s wheelchair tennis champion Wang Ziying after her straight-sets triumph. She subsequently conversed with eight-year-old Lydia Lowe, who represented the Dan Maskell Trust and conducted the coin toss for the wheelchair final.
Kate also encountered 12-year-old Sophie Kneen, who is designated to do the coin toss for the women’s final, alongside ball boys, ball girls, and honorary stewards. As she across the bridge, she smiled and gestured to the multitude of awaiting admirers.
Under the guidance of All England Club chairperson Debbie Jevans, a former professional, Kate engaged with the welcome party and briefly discussed their tournament experiences. She also met youth from the Work at Wimbledon initiative and delegates from the Wimbledon Foundation.
Kate has consistently visited Wimbledon over the years, even prior to her appointment as patron of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club by Queen Elizabeth in 2016. She has attended the tournament in person annually since her marriage to Prince William in 2011, except for the 2013 matches, during which she was “heavily pregnant” with Prince George and received medical advice against attending, and the 2020 cancellation of Wimbledon due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Princess Kate’s reappearance at Wimbledon follows her attendance to the men’s singles championships in July 2024, representing one of her few public engagements this year as she mostly stayed out of the limelight throughout her cancer treatment. In September 2024, she declared the completion of her chemotherapy, thereafter stating in January that she was in remission.
On July 14, 2024, the princess was greeted with a standing ovation as she proceeded to her place in the first row of the princess Box at Centre Court, accompanied by her daughter, Princess Charlotte, and sister, Pippa.
Following the match, Princess Kate descended to the court to award Carlos Alcaraz the victory trophy following his triumph against Novak Djokovic.
The hospital visit earlier this month constituted her first public appearance after her unexpected withdrawal from Royal Ascot on June 18. The Princess of Wales reportedly expressed disappointment at her inability to attend Ascot this year but is resolute in achieving the appropriate equilibrium when she resumes public duties during her ongoing recuperation.
