Kate Middleton delights Wimbledon spectators as she arrives at Royal Box to watch Women’s Final
professorkamrankhan@gmail.com 
The Princess of Wales put her best fashion foot forward and appeared in high spirits as she attended the Wimbledon Women’s Final on Saturday.
Kate, 43, is due to watch sportswomen Amanda Anisimova and Iga Świątek battle it out on Centre Court from the Royal Box in Wimbledon today.
The mother-of-three put on a stunning display in a cream ensemble, including a high-collared belted top and flowing skirt, as she arrived at the event alongside AELTC chair Debbie Jevans.
The royal mother-of-three, who is making a steady return to public duties following her cancer diagnosis, is joining Lady Helen Taylor, the daughter of the Duke and Duchess of Kent, in the Royal Box.
British No. 2 Emma Raducanu was previously crushed by Iga Świątek for the second Grand Slam in a row in May, with a 6-1, 6-2 defeat in the second round of Roland Garros.
Kate, who has been the patron of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club since 2016, is often tasked with handing out the winners and runner-up trophies every year.
In 2023, Tunisian tennis player Ons Jabeur was tearful after coming runner-up in two consecutive finals. It was a tough time for the athlete as she also lost at the US Open Final that year.
As the royal mother-of-three presented her with her runners-up prize, the two stopped to talk.
The Princess of Wales took to Wimbledon on Saturday to watch the women’s final from the Royal Box
Kate, known for her kind gestures, offered words of encouragement and embraced the visibly distressed athlete in a break from royal protocol.
In an interview, Jabeur said: ‘Obviously, she was very nice. She didn’t know if she wanted to give me a hug or not. I told her hugs are always welcome from me.’
When she was asked what Kate had said to her, she added: ‘Same thing after last year. To encourage me to be strong, to come back and win a Grand Slam, win a Wimbledon.’
The Princess has been a fan of the sport since childhood, with the royal telling Sue Barker in a 2017 BBC documentary: ‘I have watched Wimbledon, that was very much part of my growing up.
‘I think it really inspires youngsters, myself, it inspired me when I was younger to get involved in the game. It hasn’t changed either, I think that’s what’s so wonderful.’
Speaking to HELLO! magaine, Jabeur added that the Royal initiated the warm embrace, noting her kind energy was a significant support: ‘She was really the nicest. She has watched me twice, losing the final twice.
‘She kept asking me if she could hug me, and I was like, “Who doesn’t want a hug from a Princess, you know?”
‘For me, it was such an amazing moment. And not just that, I felt her kindness and energy around me.’
Kate put on a stunning display in a cream ensemble as she entered Wimbledon alongside AELTC chair Debbie Jevans
The royal added a special bow featuring the official All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club to her ensemble
Kate waved to spectators at day 13 of Wimbledon Tennis Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club
Last year, Kate, who had stepped away from public royal duties while undergoing cancer treatment, was greeted with a standing ovation when she arrived to SW19.
She presented the Wimbledon Men’s trophy to Carlos Alcaraz, after he took on veteran Novak Djokovic, winning in three sets.
Before passing the trophy to Alcaraz, Kate commiserated and shook the hand of runner-up Novak Djokovic.
She attended the prestigious sporting competition alongside her daughter, Princess Charlotte, and her sister, Pippa Middleton.
Before the mother-daughter duo took their seats in the Royal Box, they met with female tennis stars, including 21-year-old Emma Radacanu, who all presented Kate with a bouquet of flowers.
Charlotte grinned from ear to ear as she met with the tennis star, who sadly saw her Wimbledon dream crushed on Centre Court by New Zealand qualifier Lulu Sun last week.
Kate and Charlotte were also greeted by Sonay Kartal, Lily Miyazaki, Lucy Shuker and Flora Johnson as they arrived on the players’ lawn at Wimbledon before entering Centre Court.
Charlotte gave wheelchair tennis player Shuker a ‘pinky promise’ that she would try the sport alongside her mother.
Kate was also introduced to Raducanu, who was knocked out in the fourth round of this year’s championships, telling her: ‘It was so hard to see you go out.’
US Open winner Raducanu said it was ‘amazing’ to have the support of the princess and ‘see her here looking so healthy and happy’.
It’s no secret that ambitious blood runs through the Middleton veins, as Pippa and Kate were both known to be super competitive with sports at school events as children.
They were both on the hockey team as teenagers, though the Princess of Wales was team captain during her years at Marlborough College in Wiltshire.
Kate always enjoyed physical education as a student and even went on to become a star tennis player, a keen netball player and used to beat the boys at high jump.
