Almost a month after her return to public life, the Princess of Wales is preparing for another appearance. There were hopes that Catherine, who is the patron of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, would attend the finals of the Wimbledon Championship this weekend. Her office has now confirmed that she will indeed be present at the men's singles final on Sunday, July 14th.
This announcement marks a significant step forward for Catherine and is very positive news amid her cancer treatment. It's believed that both the crowd and viewers will be thrilled to see the Princess of Wales. Her presence at Wimbledon is expected as she has attended regularly since her marriage to Prince William and traditionally presents the trophy to the winner in her role as the patron of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club.
Many people feel it's extremely good news, not only because Wimbledon will host an exciting men's final between Djokovic and Alcaraz, but also because Catherine's attendance will be the icing on the cake. Everyone has been hoping she would be well enough to attend, and although she is still undergoing treatment, each appearance is a step forward. During her last message at the time of Trooping the Colour, she mentioned she isn't out of the woods yet, so her presence at Wimbledon is a significant milestone.
The announcement came just days after Wimbledon stated they were working on backup plans in case the Princess, who is undergoing preventative chemotherapy, was unable to attend this year. Back in 2019, the Princess of Wales offered words of comfort to her good friend Roger Federer after he lost to Novak Djokovic, breaking royal protocol by putting her arm around him. Generally, members of the royal family are expected to remain reserved in public, but Catherine has always openly expressed her feelings at tennis matches. She was heard telling the former Wimbledon Champion that he was incredible. Given her return to the tournament tomorrow, we may see her show her emotions again as she watches Novak Djokovic play Carlos Alcaraz.
In 2017, the Princess was once again on Centre Court to cheer Roger Federer as he won his record eighth Wimbledon title against Croatian Marin Cilic. She was so delighted to see him emerge victorious that she gave him three congratulatory kisses on the cheek. This level of familiarity demonstrates the friendship between the pair, with Federer even giving Prince George tennis lessons at the Middleton family home in Bucklebury. The tennis star has since praised George's skills and said he was a sweet boy, telling reporters at Wimbledon in 2019, "I love to see that they are into tennis and sports." Federer added that the young heir had a good swing and spoke highly of Kate and her well-documented fondness for the game, saying, "His mom has always enjoyed tennis. I hope he'll stay the same in a few years' time and this is not just an in-the-moment situation." When asked if the rumors were true that he was George's favorite tennis player, Federer responded, "I think I have a little advantage that I've actually spent some time with him, so maybe I'm only the favorite player he's ever met. Then you have a little head start into who's your favorite player."
Meanwhile, her husband, Prince William, has been a visible supporter throughout the tournament, having attended England's quarterfinal triumph over Switzerland and the group match against Denmark, where he was spotted celebrating amongst fans. The Prince of Wales delivered a rallying cry to the England men's football team, telling them to go out there and show the world what they're made of before the Euro 2024 final, expressing his pride, "We're all so proud of you. All of England, just one last push to finish the job. Go out there and show the world what you're made of. We believe in you."
