Kate Middleton will be seated in the Royal Box during one of the final matches at Wimbledon this month, making it her second public appearance this year since her cancer diagnosis.
The Princess of Wales, 42, is set to attend the men’s single final at Wimbledon, which is held at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, this Sunday, July 14, as confirmed by Kensington Palace. However, she will not be in attendance to see the women’s champion crowned on Saturday, July 13, at the annual tennis tournament.
“At the request of Her Royal Highness The Princess of Wales, Patron of The All England Lawn Tennis Club, the trophies will be presented on court by Deborah Jevans CBE, Chair of The All England Lawn Tennis Club,” the AELTC said in a statement to The Athletic.
Princess Kate has shown up for Wimbledon most years since marrying Prince William, and she traditionally steps onto Centre Court to hand out the award to the winner in her role as the patron of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club. Queen Elizabeth passed the role of patron down to her granddaughter-in-law in 2016.
The Princess of Wales has thus far made only one public appearance with the royal family in 2024 as she continues to undergo cancer treatment predominantly out of the public eye.
All England Club chair Debbie Jevans told Telegraph Sport in June that they would give the Princess of Wales “as much flexibility as possible” regarding whether she would hand out the trophies.
After undergoing abdominal surgery in January, Princess Kate revealed in March that post-operative tests found cancer and she was in the process of chemotherapy. She requested “time, space, and privacy while I complete my treatment,” but made her first public outing with the royal family since Christmas at King Charles’ birthday parade on June 15. Yet, palace aides emphasized that the outing did not signify a return to public life, and there has not been a date set for when she will fully return to her royal duties.
Princess Kate distributed the awards last year at Wimbledon, handing Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz his trophy for beating Serbia’s Novak Djokovic. This year, she will be handing the trophy to one of these players as they face off against each other once more.
