Royal fans have expressed hope that the Princess of Wales will make an emotional appearance at the Wimbledon Championships this weekend.
Kensington Palace is believed to be waiting until the last minute to make a final decision on whether Kate will be allowed to visit the All England Club in London.
And the Duchess of Gloucester is being considered as a possible replacement to present the trophies if the princess is unavailable due to her cancer treatment.
Wimbledon officials have already indicated that they want to give Kate “as much flexibility as possible” ahead of the women’s singles final on Saturday and the men’s singles final on Sunday.
Fans have taken to social media to express their eagerness to see the Princess, the patroness of Wimbledon, in the Royal Box on Centre Court.
It would be only Kate’s second official public appearance in seven months since Christmas last year, having also attended Trooping the Colour on June 15.
July 16, 2023 — The Princess of Wales presents the trophy to Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz after he won the Wimbledon men’s singles final against Serbia’s Novak Djokovic
July 16, 2023 — Prince William, Kate, Prince George and Princess Charlotte speak to ball boys and girls at the All England Club ahead of the Wimbledon Championships
July 15, 2023 — Czech Republic’s Marketa Vondrousova receives the trophy from the Princess of Wales after winning her women’s singles final over Tunisia’s Ons Jabeur
Among those eager to see her was Lee Hood. He tweeted: “Wouldn’t it be great if Princess Catherine, Princess of Wales could attend the men’s and women’s finals at Wimbledon this year?” He added: “Get well soon Catherine.”
Another story goes: ‘Wimbledon isn’t the same without Kate.’
A third added: ‘I hope the Princess of Wales will attend Wimbledon this year if she is feeling well.’
And a fourth tweeted: ‘I hope The Princess of Wales can attend and fulfil her role as patron. I wish Catherine all the best.’
Kate’s parents Carole and Michael Middleton were photographed in the Royal Box at Wimbledon last Thursday, where Carole spoke to Lord Sebastian Coe.
And last Saturday, Kate paid tribute to Sir Andy Murray, telling him he should be “very proud” after missing a Wimbledon final.
The Scot was scheduled to play mixed doubles with Emma Raducanu that evening, but the former US Open champion withdrew earlier in the day due to stiffness in her right wrist.
In a personally signed message on social media, Kate wrote: “An incredible #Wimbledon career comes to an end. You should be so incredibly proud @andy_murray. From all of us, thank you! C.”
Kate succeeded Queen Elizabeth II as patron of the All England Club in 2016 and regularly presented the trophies on Centre Court.
But she has only made one public appearance this year, at Trooping the Colour, just over three weeks ago. In March, she announced that she was undergoing preventive chemotherapy for cancer, which was discovered after major abdominal surgery in January.
Kensington Palace has not yet confirmed any future engagements for the princess while she recovers. Her surprise attendance at Trooping the Colour was only announced the night before.
July 6, 2024 — Kate paid tribute to Sir Andy Murray, saying he should be ‘so incredibly proud’ after he missed a Wimbledon final match
July 4, 2024 — Kate’s parents Carole and Michael Middleton in the Royal Box for the Wimbledon Championships last week alongside All England Club president Debbie Jevans (right)
July 3, 2024 — The Duchess of Gloucester in the Royal Box at the All England Club last week
The Duchess of Gloucester has now emerged as the most likely replacement for Kate should she be unable to attend the tennis final, according to the Daily telegram.
A Wimbledon spokesman told the newspaper that no decision had yet been made and that it would be confirmed on the morning of each final.
The Danish-born duchess, who was called Birgitte Eva van Deurs Henriksen before marrying Prince Richard, the Duke of Gloucester, in 1972, is a keen tennis fan and this would allow Wimbledon to continue their royal tradition.
Since King George V (then Prince George) became the club’s first president in 1907, approximately 10 members of the royal family have presented the trophies.
The Duchess of Gloucester, 78, has been honorary president of the Lawn Tennis Association for 25 years and was invited to Wimbledon by the All England Club last week.
July 6, 2024 — Prince William reacts as he watches England take on Switzerland in the quarter-finals of Euro 2024 in Düsseldorf on Saturday, where he attended without Kate or his children
June 15, 2024 — Kate has only attended one public event so far this year, Trooping the Colour
Two weeks ago, Debbie Jevans, chairman of the All England Club, told the Telegraph: ‘We hope that the Princess of Wales will be able to present the trophies as patron of the club, but her health and recovery are the priority.
“We don’t know what we don’t know. We just said we’re going to work with her and give her as much flexibility as possible.
“I don’t know who would present the trophies as an alternative – that’s something to consider if necessary. We remain flexible. When we hear it, we will think about what is the right thing to do.”
Another complication is that the Wimbledon final on Sunday coincides with the 2024 European Championship final.
The England men’s team are just one game away from the final, and Kate’s husband, Prince William, is expected to attend as chairman of the English Football Association.
William passionately celebrated England’s dramatic penalty victory over Switzerland in Düsseldorf on Saturday.
He could even attend the final if the Three Lions are defeated by the Netherlands in tomorrow’s semi-final, which starts at 8pm.