Kate Middleton, Princess of Wales has presented the singles champions trophy at Wimbledon every year since 2016. Here, she presented the men's trophy to Carlos Alcaraz of Spain after his victory in the final last year. Photo / Getty Images
Kate Middleton, Princess of Wales has presented the singles champions trophy at Wimbledon every year since 2016. Here, she presented the men's trophy to Carlos Alcaraz of Spain after his victory in the final last year. Photo / Getty Images
The Princess, patron of the All England Croquet and Lawn Tennis Club, will present the champion’s trophy after the match on Sunday.
The Princess of Wales will attend the Men’s Singles final at Wimbledon on Sunday, Kensington Palace has confirmed.
The Princess is patron of the AllEngland Croquet and Lawn Tennis Club and will present the trophy, as she has done since 2016.
In a statement released on June 14, she said she hoped to “join a few public engagements over the summer” if she feels able, but that there were “good days and bad days” during her chemotherapy.
Since 2021, she has also handed out the Venus Rosewater Dish to the winner of the ladies’ singles final, and Saturday marked her first absence from the match, won this year by Barbora Krejcikova, in three years.
The Princess of Wales joined her family in June at Trooping the Colour – her first engagement since revealing her cancer diagnosis. Photo / Getty Images
The news that she will attend the Wimbledon men’s final on Sunday will have been welcomed by the All England Croquet and Lawn Tennis Club, which has a strong relationship with the Royal family.
Ten royals have presented the trophies since Prince George, later King George V, became the club’s first president in 1907.
— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) July 13, 2024
It marked the first step in a “phased return” to public duty by the 73-year-old with a visit to one of her treasured charities, the Riding for the Disabled Association, which was hosting its annual national championships.
Some bruising was visible on the Princess’s cheek as she arrived at the equine centre of Hartpury University in Gloucestershire, and the long-planned engagement was condensed from two hours to one in light of her ongoing recovery.
Helena Vega Lozano, the chairman of the Riding for the Disabled Association UK, said: “It’s a huge honour for the Princess to come to the RDA as her only event since the accident. As soon as she got out of the car, she said: ‘I can’t remember a single thing about it’.”
The Princess was concussed after apparently being kicked in the head by a horse while walking on her Gatcombe Park estate in Gloucestershire on June 23. The exact circumstances of the incident remain unknown, as she was unable to recall what had happened, and there were no witnesses.
