Participating in Wimbledon is seen as one of Kate Middleton’s ‘small victories’ in the fight against cancer

Kate Middleton may have presented the Wimbledon winners with the trophy, but she was a winner herself. The 42-year-old Princess of Wales attended the final of the famous tennis tournament in what turned out to be one of her “small victories” in her ongoing battle with cancer.

Going to Wimbledon has given Kate ‘food’

After much speculation about if and when she would attend Wimbledon, Kate arrived on July 14, 2024, and watched the final between Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz and Serbian Novak Djokovic from the Royal Box on Centre Court.

Kate was joined in London by Princess Charlotte, her 9-year-old daughter with Prince William, and her sister, Pippa Middleton Matthews, 40. A palace source told People that the outing will “keep her nourished” as she continues her preventive chemotherapy treatments.

“She’s been through something horrible and stressful,” they said. “And it’s important to have little victories to look forward to or to give you the courage and energy to move forward, and this is it.”

Wimbledon marks Kate’s second official public appearance of the year, following Trooping the Colour in June. As patron of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, she is a regular visitor to Wimbledon, having attended the tournament three times in 2023 alone.

She showed ‘courage and character’ when she arrived at Wimbledon

Kate’s decision to go to Wimbledon “showed a lot of courage and bravery, knowing the whole world was watching,” said Robert Jobson, a royal biographer and author of the forthcoming book Catherine: Princess of Walesspeak.

Kate has not been seen in public since announcing in a rare video statement on March 22, 2024, that she had cancer. The statement came after the royal mother of three underwent abdominal surgery two months earlier.

Since then, she has shared only one major update. In a June 14, 2024, statement, Kate said her treatment would continue for “several more months.” For now, she is “taking it one day at a time” and learning to live with the uncertainty.

The standing ovation Kate received may have given her extra motivation.

Part of Kate’s buoyant mood at Wimbledon may have been the standing ovation she received upon arrival. As Kate walked to her seat in the Royal Box, guests rose to their feet and applauded the future queen.

Then, as royal photographer Karwai Tang noted, Kate paused. “Normally she would come in, go down and sit in her chair,” they said. “But she stood there for a while, taking it all in.”

“For her to admit it and accept the applause was special,” the photographer added. “Wimbledon held its breath and waited for her to come back, and she did.” According to a lip reader, Kate responded to the standing ovation by calling it “so sweet.”

Kate’s appearance at Wimbledon comes as no surprise. On July 13, 2024, Kensington Palace announced that she would attend the men’s final, a month after she returned to public life (via NBC). However, she has not yet officially returned to royal duties. Until then, whenever that may be, Kate is expected to focus on enjoying the summer.