Kate Middleton Makes Rare Public Appearance at Wimbledon Finals with Princess Charlotte amid Ongoing Recovery

Kate Middleton made a rare public appearance amid her cancer treatment to attend one of her favorite summer events: Wimbledon.

The Princess of Wales, 42, arrived for the men’s singles final on July 14 with two surprise guests: her daughter, Princess Charlotte, 9, and sister, Pippa Middleton, 40. The outing marks only the second time this year that Kate has made a public appearance, as she continues to focus on her recovery. As patron of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, a role given to her by Queen Elizabeth in 2016, Kate will also present the trophy to the winner after the match.

As she walked into the Royal Box located above Centre Court, Kate received huge applause and a standing ovation from the crowd. She smiled and waved, visibly moved, as she took her seat alongside Charlotte and Pippa.

During the BBC broadcast of the match, tennis great John McEnroe said it was awesome seeing the Princess of Wales at the finals “after what she’s been through.”

Before they watched Spanish star Carlos Alcaraz face off against seasoned veteran Novak Djokovic in the Grand Slam final, the mother-daughter duo met with former female champions in the clubhouse, including Emma Raducanu, who presented Kate with flowers. They also met with participants in the “Work at Wimbledon” program, which provides young people with opportunities to work at the Championships.

Other notable attendees in the Royal Box included Tom Cruise, a friend of the royal family, actor Benedict Cumberbatch, who attended Eton with Prince William, tennis icon Andre Agassi and London Mayor Sadiq Khan.

Kensington Palace confirmed Kate’s attendance on July 13. Although there was speculation that she would attend the women’s singles final on that day, she was not present.

Princess Kate attended without her husband, Prince William, who had a sporting event of his own to attend. The Prince of Wales, in his role as president of the Football Association, traveled to Germany on July 14 to watch England’s soccer squad take on Spain in the Euro 2024 championship game.

Although Princess Kate typically attends Wimbledon on multiple days of the competition each year, she has largely stayed out of the public eye as she continues cancer treatment. The outing comes just weeks after she joined the royal family at Trooping the Colour, the annual celebration of King Charles’ birthday, in her first public event with the royals since revealing her diagnosis.

Wimbledon organizers previously said they were hopeful that Kate would be able to attend and continue the tradition of handing out the prizes this year. Club chair Debbie Jevans told Telegraph Sport that they will give Princess Kate “as much flexibility as possible,” noting that the royal’s “health and recovery is the priority.”

Princess Kate was on hand to give out the trophies at both the men’s and women’s finals in 2023. And she had support from her family for the sporting event’s finale: Prince George and Princess Charlotte (in her Wimbledon debut!) watched from the Royal Box alongside dad Prince William as Kate handed the top prize to Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz after he defeated Serbia’s Novak Djokovic.

Even before becoming patron of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, Kate was a regular Wimbledon attendee. The avid tennis player has watched the tournament in person every year since she married Prince William in 2011, with one exception: the 2013 matches, which took place when she was “heavily pregnant” with Prince George and doctors advised her not to attend. Wimbledon was also canceled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

After undergoing abdominal surgery in January, Princess Kate revealed in March that post-operative tests found cancer and that she was undergoing chemotherapy. She requested “time, space and privacy while I complete my treatment.”

In a June 14 update, the Princess of Wales said in a personal letter that “there are good days and bad days,” but she shared a hope to join “a few public engagements over the summer, but equally knowing I am not out of the woods yet.”

Palace aides emphasized that her appearance at Trooping the Colour in June did not signal a return to public life, and no date is set for when she will fully return to her royal work. Any outings in the near future will be based on when she feels able and under the guidance of her medical team.

Princess Kate has missed several royal events that are usually part of her calendar since Trooping the Colour, including Garter Day, Royal Ascot and the Japan state visit to the U.K. She also appeared to stay home when Prince William celebrated his 42nd birthday at Taylor Swift’s London stop of the Eras Tour on June 21 with Prince George and Princess Charlotte.

Typically, members of the royal family largely retreat from the spotlight during the summer months, spending private time together. Some of that break may be spent on vacation at one of their favorite destinations, including Balmoral Castle in Scotland, where the British royals traditionally gather each August. Kate, William and their children also spend time at their country home, Anmer Hall, in Norfolk.