Tennis
Princess Kate ‘glad to be back’ at Wimbledon as she brings Charlotte along
PRINCESS Kate is “glad to be back” at Wimbledon today as the royal was greeted with a standing ovation and roaring crowds.
Kate Middleton, 42, stunned tennis fans in SW19, south-west London, as she settled in to watch the men’s final.
It marks her second public appearance of the year amid ongoing cancer treatment.
The royal stunned in a custom purple Safiyaa Cecilia dress and wore her hair in loose curls, while pairing the elegant outfit with gold jewelry.
She also donned her signature small bow pin to celebrate the occasion.
Only those who are part of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club (AELTC), of which Kate is patron, can wear the pin.
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It features the private club’s colours, “Wimbledon purple” and “Wimbledon green”.
The mum-of-three was snapped laughing with daughter Princess Charlotte, nine, as the pair took their seats.
The young royal stepped out in a navy and white polka-dot dress, complimented by a blue bow hair accessory.
Pippa Middleton also stunned in a floral dress as she joined her sister and niece.
The Princess of Wales shared a message to mark her appearance and support on her and Wills’ official X/Twitter platform.
“Great to be back at @Wimbledon!,” it read.
“There’s nothing quite like The Championships.”
Princess Kate, who is patron of the All England Club, revealed earlier this year that she has been having treatment for cancer.
It is Kate’s first public appearance since she attended Trooping the Colour for King Charles’ birthday last month.
In June, the Princess was seen beaming as she stood side by side with the Monarch on Buckingham Palace’s balcony.
It was the first time Princess Kate had attended a royal event since she and Charles were diagnosed with cancer.
Adoring fans erupted as the Royals stepped out for the monarch’s birthday in Kate’s first public appearance since Christmas.
The day had been plagued by rain but downpours couldn’t dampen Kate’s shine as she beamed alongside Prince William and their kids.
Fans watched on in awe as the Princess joked and laughed with Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, nine, and six-year-old Prince Louis.
Her appearance at Trooping the Colour came after she issued an update on her health battle.
In a personal statement, Kate said: “I have been blown away by all the kind messages of support and encouragement over the last
couple of months.
‘DETERMINED KATE’
Royal expert Ingrid Seward told The Sun: “It was a long held promise that Kate would take Charlotte to the finals as a special treat.
“Kate felt guilty she hadn’t been able to spend as much time as she would have liked to be with the kids because of her exhaustion after her treatment.
“Charlotte has always loved tennis and mum Kate took her to Hurlingham when she was quite young to play tennis there.
“Kate was taught by her dad Michael. William was taught by his mum
Diana and tennis is a big family thing on both sides.
“So it is a super special day for Kate to be able to share it with Charlotte and much more fun for her to have Charlotte there and explain to her the details of what is going on.
“It’s also a distraction so she does not feel she is full and centre of everyone’s attention. Charlotte is there to deflect things away from her too.
“Kate was determined to be at Wimbledon on finals day if she possibly could.
“She knew she probably wouldn’t make both days. But I feel certain we might well see George in Germany tonight with his dad.”
“It really has made the world of difference to William and me and has helped us both through some of the harder times.
“I am making good progress, but as anyone going through chemotherapy will know, there are good days and bad days.
“On those bad days you feel weak, tired and you have to give in to
your body resting. But on the good days, when you feel stronger, you want to make the most of feeling well.
“My treatment is ongoing and will be for a few more months. On the days I feel well enough, it is a joy to engage with school life, spend personal time on the things that give me energy and positivity, as well as starting to do a little work from home.
“I’m looking forward to attending The King’s Birthday Parade this weekend with my family and hope to join a few public engagements over the summer, but equally knowing I am not out of the woods yet.
“I am learning how to be patient, especially with uncertainty. Taking each day as it comes, listening to my body, and allowing myself to take this much needed time to heal.
“Thank you so much for your continued understanding, and to all of you who have so bravely shared your stories with me.”
Former royal butler Paul Burrell previously said it was “highly likely” Kate will make an appearance as she is a “huge tennis fan”.
Tobias Kormind, managing director of 77 Diamonds, Europe’s largest online diamond jeweller, said: “Kate’s stunning and distinctive new Wimbledon statement look comprised a purple dress (paying tribute to the Wimbledon colours) – which is a first for the Princess.
“She paired this rich and regal hue with large, statement yellow gold earrings, the perfect combination, and in contrast to some of the more dainty jewels she has sometimes worn at Wimbledon in the past.
“She teamed this with a couple of bold, yellow gold and aquamarine and topaz-set bangles, one of which it looks like she first wore to Wimbledon in 2021.
“While the Princess of Wales has returned to Wimbledon with a fresh look, it complements her past outfit and jewellery choices well.
“The combination of her green and gold look of 2023 and her purple and gold look of 2024 – both worn to the men’s tennis final match – also pay tribute to her position as the president of the AELTC.”
Kate’s appearance at Wimbledon comes just a couple of days after Queen Camilla watched an epic quarter-final clash.
Camilla attended day ten of the Championships, where she met Olympic silver medalist Laura Robson and coach Jamie Delgado, who holds the men’s record for playing in 23 consecutive Wimbledons.
Camilla told Laura it was “so nice to be able to escape for a day”.
She also told Wimbledon’s head gardener Martyn Falconer: “It all looks fantastic. It always looks absolutely perfect.”
Other royals there included Peter Phillips and his girlfriend Harriet Sperling, and Zara Tindall and her husband Mike.