Princess Kate, the wife of Prince William and the heir to the British throne, is set to make a rare public appearance since her cancer diagnosis by attending the Wimbledon men's final on Sunday. She will hand out the winner's trophy as she has been doing since 2016 when she became patron of All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club.
Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic will face off in the final match on Centre Court. Kate, who is undergoing chemotherapy treatment after her cancer diagnosis earlier this year, has only made one public appearance since then - at King Charles III's birthday parade last month.
Prince William, who is also a regular at Wimbledon finals and the president of the English Football Association, will not be attending Sunday's match. Instead, he will be in Germany for the soccer final between England and Spain at the European Championship.
Queen Camilla visited Wimbledon on Wednesday to watch some matches before Kate's appearance on Sunday.
Jasmine Paolini and Barbora Krejcikova will meet in the women's final on Saturday, with Deborah Jevans, the chair of All England Club, handing out the winner's trophy on Kate's behalf.
Kate underwent abdominal surgery in January 2024 which led to her cancer diagnosis. She has been receiving chemotherapy treatment since then and requested time, space and privacy while she continues her recovery.
The Princess of Wales has been a patron of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club since 2016. In that role, she usually hands out the winner's trophy after each men's and women's singles final. However, due to her health condition, she will only be attending Sunday's men's final this year.
In March 2024, Kate announced her cancer diagnosis in a video message where she also revealed that the surgery was successful but tests after the operation found cancer had been present. She said her focus was on reassuring her children and getting stronger every day by focusing on things that will help her heal.
The Princess of Wales's appearance at Wimbledon is significant as it marks one of her first public engagements since revealing her diagnosis. It also comes amidst speculation about the authenticity of an image released to the press earlier this year, which was later recalled and apologized for by Catherine herself.