Game, set, Kate: The Princess of Wales took in a spot of tennis at Wimbledon on Saturday.Â
Kate was in the royal box at the All-England Club, home of the prestigious British tournament famous for strawberries and cream — they go through 140,000 punnets a year — and enthusiastic royal patronage.
This marks Kate’s 26th visit to Wimbledon, where she’s handing out the women’s trophy in her capacity as Wimbledon’s royal patron. It’s an honorary gig she’s had since taking over from the late Queen in 2016.
Britain’s Kate, Princess of Wales gestures on centre court at Wimbledon on Saturday.Â
Andrew Matthews/The Associated PressArriving about an hour before the match, Kate spent some time on princess duties in the club house: Chatting with two girls chosen to do the coin tosses before games, and congratulating Wang Ziying just after she won the women’s wheelchair tennis championship.
While she’s brought plus-ones like her kids and husband in years past, Kate was solo for this particular round. She was seated next to tennis legend Billie Jean King, the two spotted chatting before Amanda Anisimova and Iga Swiatek battled it out for the title. Other famous faces in attendance included Stanley Tucci and Matthew McConaughey.
When she walked into the stadium, the crowd stood and cheered as Kate made her way down to her front row, centre court seat. This may be a marker of the princess’ popularity, but also a reflection of the fact that her appearance didn’t feel quite as certain as it once did.
Just a few weeks ago, Kate dropped out of Royal Ascot, another royal calendar staple, citing “trying to find the right balance†as she continues to recover from cancer that was discovered during an abdominal operation last January. Adding to the poignancy, it’s also a year since Kate made a rare public appearance to attend Wimbledon while still in active treatment.
This year, Kate wore a new, bespoke Self-Portrait dress in a lemony-cream, not to be confused with a very similar style in lime green that she wore to Wimbledon in 2023. With a tailored top and pleated midi skirt, the silhouette is actually quite similar to the Dior suit she wore to welcome President Macron for the French state visit earlier this week.
Britain’s Catherine, Princess of Wales (L) gives the runner up trophy, to American Amanda Anisimova after her defeat against Poland’s Iga Swiatek at the end of their women’s singles final at Wimbledon.Â
KIRILL KUDRYAVTSEV AFP via GettyIt turned out to be a surprisingly brief appearance for Kate, lasting just over an hour in the box. That’s thanks to Swiatek’s swift victory, beating American opponent Anisimova in 6-0, 6-0 in a straight set victory.
While other royals frequently attend, sport-enthusiast Kate is a particular fan of the tournament. She grew up playing tennis, a love she’s passing on to her children, apparently: Per Tatler, she and William put in a $100,000 AstroTurf court at their country home, and get together with acquaintance and tennis legend Roger Federer and his family to hit balls occasionally.
