‘William controls’: Princess Catherine to appear at Wimbledon if Prince ‘decides’ she’s well enough

SkyNews.com.au Digital Reporter Reilly Sullivan says there are “fresh hopes” Princess Kate could attend Wimbledon.

“Of course she is the patron of the All England Tennis Club,” he told Sky News Digital Presenter Gabriella Power.

“The club chair came out last week and confirmed that they have not yet found a replacement for this year’s tournament therefore they’re working with Princess Kate and obviously based on her health and her condition.”

Speculation has swirled about whether the Princess of Wales, who is a big tennis fan and has served as the All-England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club patron since 2016, will be at this year’s Grand Slam finals to present the trophies to the men’s and women’s singles champions.

Royal fans were this month sent into a spin about the 42-year-old’s potential appearance after Buckingham Palace confirmed Birgitte, Duchess of Gloucester’s attendance and as Princess Beatrice was sighted in the royal box on Tuesday.

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Princess Diana’s former butler Paul Burrell said Kate “knows the world will want to see her” but William will be the one to “decide whether she’s fit enough” for Wimbledon.

“William controls this household and William will decide whether she’s well enough to do this because he’s the one that protects the family — fiercely,” Mr Burrell told Closer Magazine.

“There’s no way he’s going to subject Kate to intrusion that she can’t handle. He’s so fiercely protective.

“With William by her side, Kate’s safe because he will take care of her and would never let anyone harm her.

“I think she trusts William implicitly and he has the final say.”

It comes as Royal expert Emily Andrews told Grazia Magazine the Princess is pushing to visit Wimbledon if she “feels up to it” amid her treatment for an undisclosed type of cancer, which did not deter her from attending Trooping the Colour in June.

“Her treatment is ongoing, and will be for the next few months, but I understand she would like to visit the Wimbledon tennis tournament — she is a patron — if she feels up to it,” Ms Andrews said.

If Kate does not attend the prestigious tennis event, Princess Beatrice, 35, is tipped as her replacement after she was sighted in the royal box by the All England Lawn Tennis Club Chairman Deborah Jevans.

Her appearance alongside Ms Jevans also squashed speculation that Birgitte, Duchess of Gloucester, 78, would take over for the Princess of Wales if Kate is not feeling up to the job.

Ms Jevans helps coordinate the tournament’s trophy presentations for the Wimbledon finalists, a role fulfilled by Catherine for eight years.

Last month, Ms Jevans told the British press she is “hopeful” Kate will return to Centre Court this year to hand out the trophies but emphasised the Princess’s cancer treatment was the “priority”.

“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,” she told The Telegraph last month.

“All we’ve said is that we’ll work with her and give her as much flexibility as possible.

“We’re staying flexible. When we hear we’ll then think about what’s the right thing to do.”