The Wimbledon tennis tournament, with lush green lawns, crisp white attire and rosy red strawberries, is synonymous with the British summer.
And while it is, of course, the tennis that lies at its heart, the All England Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club has, for many years, masterfully leveraged its association with the British royal family to give the tournament global appeal and success.
And nobody has been more important in transforming Wimbledon’s image from slightly fusty sporting ritual to chic, aspirational and socially fabulous event than its current patron, Catherine, the Princess of Wales.
It helps that she is a genuine tennis fanatic, and went to Wimbledon with her family for years and years before William was even on her radar. Indeed, Kate’s parents, Carole and Mike, were at the London event on Thursday—an appearance which many are hoping is a good omen for an appearance by Kate herself.
Kate, of course, has been only rarely seen in public this year following her devastating cancer diagnosis—including her headline-making appearance at the Trooping the Color ceremony on June 15.
Hopes are high that Kate might stage a dramatic return to the Royal Box, on Centre Court, a week on Sunday for the highlight of the week—the men’s final—and present the winning trophy.
A friend of Kate and William’s told The Daily Beast: “It is no secret that she would dearly love to be there, but when you are having chemo, as she herself said, there are good days and bad days. A lot depends on the timing of the treatments. She made if to Trooping the Color so if she can make Wimbledon, she will.”
Wimbledon’s chairperson, Debbie Jevans, has also expressed optimism that Kate might make it, telling the Daily Telegraph: “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. 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.”
Catherine’s office did not comment.
The royal connection to Wimbledon began over a century ago, in 1907, when the then-Prince of Wales and his wife, Princess Mary, attended the championships. As King George V and Queen Mary, they continued their patronage of the event and their son, Bertie, later King George VI, even competed in the men’s doubles in 1926, making him the only royal to have played at Wimbledon.
Queen Elizabeth II took on the role of patron but wasn’t, apparently, a huge fan, attending the tournament only four times during her reign. Her cousin, the Duke of Kent, who was president of the club, deputized on her behalf when it came to presenting trophies.
Elizabeth handed the patronage to Kate, a passionate tennis fan, in 2016, bringing a fresh wave of enthusiasm and visibility to the tournament. Kate, is frequently seen at matches, engaging with players and spectators alike.
Rumors that Kate would attend ramped up after Kate said in a statement last month, “As anyone going through chemotherapy will know, there are good days and bad days. My treatment is ongoing and will be for a few more months…I hope to join a few public engagements over the summer, but equally knowing I am not out of the woods yet.”
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