The much-anticipated Wimbledon tennis tournament is upon us once again, and the question on everyone's mind is whether Princess Kate will be in attendance this year. The legendary former royal correspondent Charles Rae has weighed in on the matter, claiming that the Wimbledon organizers would "love" to have the Princess back.
Speaking to The Sun's Royal Editor Matt Wilkinson, Rae explained, "I think the people at Wimbledon would love to have Catherine back in again because it will boost the viewing audience and boost people being there." However, he acknowledged the uncertainty surrounding her return, stating, "The problem with it is that when we first found out about her cancer, various people were putting dates on about when she was due to come back, but we just don't know when she is going to be back."
It remains unconfirmed whether the Princess of Wales, who is the patron of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, will attend the two-week sporting event. Traditionally, the avid tennis fan has watched numerous matches in the Royal Box and later presented the champions with their trophies at the end of the tournament.
Rae expressed his hope that Kate would be able to make "one or two days at Wimbledon," but acknowledged that her health and recovery must take priority. "If she doesn't, well then we'll just have to be patient because I'm hopeful she'll be back one day," he added.
The All England Club chair, Debbie Jevans, has confirmed that they are "staying flexible" over who will present the trophies to the Wimbledon champions this year. "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," Jevans told Telegraph Sport.
Kate has rarely missed attending Wimbledon since marrying Prince William, with the exception of 2013 when she was heavily pregnant with Prince George. During an appearance on the BBC documentary "Sue Barker: Our Wimbledon" in 2017, the Princess spoke about her lifelong love for the sport, saying, "It's such a quintessential part of the English summer, and I think it really inspires youngsters, myself, it inspired me when I was younger to get involved in the game."
As Kate continues her battle with cancer, the tennis world and royal enthusiasts alike eagerly await news of her potential Wimbledon appearance. The tournament is scheduled to take place from Monday, July 1, to Sunday, July 14, with the Ladies' Singles Final on the final Saturday and the Men's Singles Final on the last day.
