The moment Princess Kate comforted a player during the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in 2023 in London, England, has resurfaced online, going viral ahead of this year’s tournament.
Kate is a longtime fan of tennis, having been appointed patron of the All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC) in 2016 by Queen Elizabeth II. The princess has attended the tournament across several days in the years since her marriage, presenting trophies as AELTC patron during the men’s and women’s singles finals games.
This year, the princess’ attendance has not been confirmed as she continues to receive treatment following a cancer diagnosis earlier in the year. Last month, Kate said that she hoped to attend some events over the summer as she continues her recovery. However, these will not be announced long in advance and will depend on how Kate feels on the day, in consultation with her medical team.
With the royal potentially absent from this year’s Wimbledon tournament, which begins on July 1 and runs through July 14, fans have taken to social media to share favorite highlights from past years.
Uploaded to X (formerly Twitter) by user @Mofoman360 on June 29, one of these posts has focused on the moment that Kate touchingly comforted Tunisian tennis pro Ons Jabeur after her defeat in the 2023 women’s singles final match against the Czech Republic’s Marketa Vondrousova.
The princess attended the match to take part in the official prize-giving ceremony, having watched from a prominent seat in the royal box of Wimbledon’s famous Centre Court.
Before Kate presented Jabeur with her second-place trophy, the princess was caught on camera quietly congratulating her and resting her hand on her shoulder. Not seen in the clip, Kate also offered her a conciliatory hug.
The X post has gained over 169,000 views and more than 1,900 likes, so far. The caption reads: “This was Princess Catherine The Princess of Wales consoling Ons Jabeur at last year’s Wimbledon ladies final Catherine has such empathy with people which is why we love her.”
A number of fans have also praised the video and Kate’s empathy on the tennis court.
In the build-up to the 2024 championships, speculation over Kate’s potential appearance has grown. The princess herself said on June 14 that she hoped to be able to attend some events over the summer, after stepping out of the public eye to focus on her health earlier this year.
On June 27, Debbie Jevans, AELTC chair, told U.K. newspaper The Telegraph that the club was hopeful that the royal would be well enough to present this year’s trophy-giving.
“We’re hopeful that the Princess of Wales will be able to present the trophies as the Club’s patron, but her health and recovery is the priority,” Jevans said. “We don’t know what we don’t know. All we’ve said is that we’ll work with her and give her as much flexibility as possible.”
James Crawford-Smith is Newsweek‘s royal reporter, based in London. You can find him on X, formerly Twitter, at @jrcrawfordsmith and read his stories on Newsweek‘s The Royals Facebook page.
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