Kate Middleton dazzles Wimbledon fans with surprise appearance at ladies final match
Kate Middleton dazzled at Wimbledon today, making an unexpected appearance at the ladies' singles final. The Princess of Wales has been gradually resuming her public duties following recent cancer treatment.
The 43-year-old royal was all smiles as she arrived at the finals to watch American tennis sensation Amanda Anisimova and Poland's Iga Swiatek go head-to-head on the court. This marks Kate's first public outing since she had to withdraw from last month's Ascot event.
She was absent from the renowned social and sporting event in Berkshire, which she was due to attend with her husband Prince William and the King and Queen, and was reportedly disappointed to miss the occasion. Wimbledon is currently in its 13th day, hosted by the prestigious All England Lawn Tennis Club.
Since marrying into the Royal Family in 2011, Kate has been a regular fixture at Wimbledon, seldom missing the event, the Mirror reports.
Upon her arrival at the iconic venue on Saturday, the Princess engaged in conversation with women's wheelchair tennis champion Wang Ziying, just moments after her straight-sets victory in the final.
Kate also spent considerable time chatting with eight year old Lydia Lowe, who represents the Dan Maskell Trust and had the privilege of performing the coin toss for the wheelchair final on Court No. 1.
She further conversed with Sophie Kneen, 12, who will conduct the coin toss for this afternoon's women's final, as well as ball boys and girls, and honorary stewards.
Kate, who has been gradually resuming her public engagements following a battle with cancer, was heartened today by the encouragement of an eight-year-old girl, also touched by her own health struggles.
Courageous Lydia Lowe, who endured a brain injury in January 2024 which left her visually impaired and learning to walk, talk, and eat anew, offered reassurance to Kate with the words: "Don't be nervous, take deep breaths".
The advice came as Kate sought some wisdom from the schoolgirl on this momentous day, not long after her last-minute withdrawal from Royal Ascot.
Upon receiving the sagely tip, the princess responded: "Take deep breaths. I'll remember that. Thank you."
Lydia, hailing from Doncaster in South Yorkshire, had earlier performed the distinguished task of the coin toss at the Ladies' Wheelchair Singles Final.
She is an ambassador for the Dan Maskell Tennis Trust, a charity dedicated to supporting disabled tennis players by offering necessary equipment and funding.
During her visit, Kate was welcomed by All England Club chairman Deborah Jevans, who introduced her to those gathered, including Lydia.
Present too was Sophie Kneen, 12, chosen to carry out the coin toss preceding the Ladies' Singles Final later in the day.
Her blouse boasted a dainty high collar, short sleeves, a matching cream belt that accentuated her waist, and delicate buttons covered in the same fabric - all contributing to an understated yet stylish look.
She complimented this with a matching cream midi skirt, featuring elegant pleats that fell into a gentle A-line shape, along with coordinating pumps and a top-handle bag.
Today, the Royal box will host a star-studded line-up alongside Kate, including Adam Peaty, Holly Ramsay, Stanley Tucci, Greta Gerwig, Mo Farah, and Sam Mendes.
Other celebrities spotted around the grounds include Maya Jama, Ant McPartlin, David Walliams, Pixie Lott, Katherine Jenkins, Leigh-Anne Pinnock, Ian Wright, Mary Earps, Joel Dommett, and Cara Delevingne.
Little Mix's Leigh-Anne certainly looked ready for the occasion, posing with a tennis racquet and donning a maxi dress with matching heels.
TV presenter Maya Jama took a breather from Love Island to enjoy some court-side drama.
Meanwhile, Olympic gold medallist Sir Mo Farah, knighted in 2017 for his contributions to athletics, was seen in the company of Tory leader Kemi Badenoch and exchanging pleasantries with journalist Clive Myrie.
In 2023, Kate graced Wimbledon on three separate days, each time sporting a different green ensemble. On her third and final day, she presented Carlos Alcaraz with the Wimbledon trophy.
In 2022, Kate handed over the Wimbledon trophy to Novak Djokovic on centre court, looking elegant in a blue and white polka dot dress by Alessandra Rich.
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She made two additional appearances at the games that year. In 2021, after a year's hiatus due to the pandemic, Kate returned to Wimbledon. She was seen wearing a face mask and pairing a polka dot skirt with a navy blazer for the occasion.
The Duchess of Cambridge made her Wimbledon debut mere months after tying the knot with Prince William in 2011, turning heads in a stunning white Temperley London dress that showcased her sun-kissed glow.
Although Kate has been a regular fixture at the prestigious tennis tournament, sources suggest that this might be her sole appearance at this year's event as she gradually eases back into her public engagements.
This comes after Kate's cancer diagnosis in March 2024, and her subsequent announcement in January 2025 that she is in remission.
Her primary focus has been on her recovery, and she has spoken candidly about the difficulties of adapting to a "new normal" following her treatment.
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The Herald Scotland
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While Tierney and Nygren should improve the team which finished the Scottish Cup final defeat to Aberdeen with Jonny Kenny up front, Greg Taylor in midfield and Yang shanking cross after cross off the pitch, it's hard to say for certain that the starting XI is significantly better. Online, fans are already bickering over the area where the need to strengthen is most great. Some say attack, some say defence. Despite winning a double last season, there's a case for saying they're both right. Two wingers, a central defender, a contingency for the potential departure of Reo Hatate and a proper goal scorer is baked in. Depending on how Inamura shapes up, they could still bring in another left-back with reports in Belgium linking Flavio Nazinho of Cercle Brugge. Do all that for less than the £17m they've raked in for Kuhn and fiscal caution will start to look like a high-risk gamble. 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Daily Mail
2 hours ago
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The Princess donned a £3,000 gold pendant which contains the birthstone for April - the month Prince Louis was born Mother-of-three Kate affectionately nicknames her youngest son Prince Louis 'Lou-bug' (pictured at the VE Day flypast in May) Mother-of-three Kate pictured yesterday with her only daughter, Princess Charlotte Kate appeared overwhelmed upon arrival at the Royal Box on Centre Court and was welcomed by a huge chorus of cheers and a standing ovation. It was reminiscent of the reception she received last year, when she chose the tennis tournament as her first solo outing after taking time away from public duty while being treated for cancer. Yesterday's final saw Jannik Sinner take on Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz - of whom Princess Charlotte is known to be a fan. Charlotte delighted fans last year with her animated reactions as she watched her favourite player win the coveted trophy. Throughout the nail-biting match, the young royal winced, cheered and beamed, as she watched the players compete for the prestigious title. Kate took over the role of patron in 2016 from the late Queen who had held the position for 64 years. The accessory is worn by members of the Committee of Management during the Fortnight – the Main Board of the AELTC and representatives of the LTA. It signifies their responsibilities as the Committee governing the tournament. The Patron has always traditionally been given a Committee bow in recognition of her role, which is why the Duchess has chosen to wear it when visiting The Championships. Other individuals also given an honorary Committee bow are the Chief Executive. The present colours of dark green and purple were introduced in 1909 as the club's previous colours, blue, yellow, red and green, were too similar to those of the Royal Marines. The royal was praised for her Wimbledon outing on Saturday, after she consoled the tearful runner-up Amanda Asiminova who was thrashed by Iga Swiatek in the most one-sided Wimbledon final since 1911. The Princess of Wales arrived at the All England Club for the men's Wimbledon final on Sunday with her eldest two children and husband Prince William Kate placed her hand on the American's arm and told her to 'keep your head high' following the 23-year-old's 6-0, 6-0 loss on Centre Court in just 57 minutes. Anisimova had to briefly leave the court following her humbling at the hands of an inspired Swiatek, 24, as she recorded a double bagel scoreline in the women's final - the first in 114 years and for only the second time in the tournament's history. Anisimova said meeting Kate 'was the positive of today' and told how she had been 'really kind'. Speaking after the match, she said: 'It was such an honour to meet her. 'I wasn't sure if she was going to come out today, if she was going to be there, so it's just really nice to see her. 'She definitely had a few things to say that were making me emotional again.' A tearful Anisimova wiped away tears during her post-match interview on court as she praised Swiatek and said she had 'run out of gas a bit today'. She was playing in her first Wimbledon final and said 'she would never forget this experience'. Anisimova broke down again as she mentioned how her mother had flew in from America that morning to watch her. 'Thank you for being here and breaking the superstition of not flying in - it isn't why I lost here,' she joked. Anisimova: 'I know I didn't have enough today but I will keep putting in the work and I hope to be back here one day.' A victorious Swiatek, the first Polish woman to win Wimbledon, also offered words of encouragement to Anisimova. 'First I want to congratulate Amanda for an amazing two weeks. You should be proud of the work you are doing and I hope we will play more finals her,' she said. 'I didn't even dream, for me it was way too far. I feel like I am already an experienced player after winning the Slams before but I never expected this one. 'This year I really, really enjoyed it and feel I improved my form here. 'I am always going to remember the opening of champagne bottles between serves! It is a sound that will keep me away at night!' The only ever time there has been a 6-0, 6-0 scoreline in a Grand Slam final was in 1988 when Steffi Graf beat Natasha Zvereva in the French Open. For her appearance on Saturday, Kate donned a custom Self-Portrait white ensemble. The two-piece outfit featured a high collared, military-style belted top and a flowing midi skirt. Kate has worn designs from Self-Portrait on a number of occasions, including a 2023 Wimbledon appearance, where she wore a similar two-piece outfit, but that time, in green. She finished the ensemble with a pair of Gianvito Rossi suede slingback heeled pumps in cream, and Anya Hindmarch's Neeson Small Square Tote bag in cream, which retails for £950. Her jewellery included a gold Halcyon Days bracelet and Cartier earrings. She also gave a sweet nod to her husband Prince William, wearing what appeared to be her Cartier Bleu watch, which Prince William gave her as an anniversary gift in 2014. Last year also saw Carlos Alcaraz in the final, which he won, beating Novak Djokovic in straight sets.
