Kate Middleton’s appearance at Wimbledon on Sunday delighted tennis and royal fans, but it may be some time before we see Kate in public again.
According to royal sources, Prince William and Princess Kate are planning to spend most of the summer “below the radar” at their Norfolk bolthole now that Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis are out of school and Kate continues her course of preventative chemotherapy.
While Kensington Palace would not give details on the family’s plans for the summer, a royal source confirmed that the Wales family are now “on summer break.” Sources close to the family say that although they will not be traveling abroad this summer while Kate undergoes treatment, they are excited to visit King Charles and Queen Camilla in Scotland next month.
Sunday’s appearance at Wimbledon is likely to be Kate’s last official engagement until later this year.
The Princess of Wales thrilled the crowds on centre court when she arrived in the royal box with Princess Charlotte in tow. The nine-year-old accompanied her mother and Kate’s sister Pippa Middleton for the special day and looked on proudly as her mother received a standing ovation.
Kate’s appearance at Wimbledon is only the second time the royal has been seen in public since her cancer diagnosis. She appeared at Trooping the Colour, the king’s official birthday parade in June and was apparently also determined to be at Wimbledon. “There were two dates she really wanted to make,” says a source close to the princess. “She wanted to be at Trooping to support the King and at Wimbledon because she goes every year and it brings her great joy.”
As royal patron of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club since 2016, Kate has attended the championships every year, becoming a firm favorite in the royal box. While she was not able to attend the Women’s Finals on Saturday, sources say she was “determined” to attend the men’s finals where Carlos Alcaraz beat Novak Djokovic in a nail-biting final.
Prince William, also a keen tennis fan, was absent from the Wimbledon final so that he and Prince George could attend Sunday’s UEFA European Championship game between Spain and England in Berlin. On Monday, the Prince and Princess of Wales released an image of Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis watching the match at home in custom England jerseys. Prince William took to X following England’s defeat to congratulate the team, writing, "England, your teamwork, grit and determination were an inspiration to all of us, young and old. Congratulations to Spain. W & C."
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