Buckingham Palace has confirmed a major member of the monarchy will attend Wimbledon this week – but it’s not Princess Catherine, who royal fans are still hopeful will make her traditional appearance at the prestigious event.
The palace on Wednesday confirmed Birgitte the Duchess of Gloucester will on Thursday attend the Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club.
The wife of Queen Elizabeth’s cousin, who is Honorary President of the Lawn Tennis Association, will attend the Lawn Tennis Association’s President’s Lunch beforehand.
The announcement has left royal enthusiasts wondering whether the Princess of Wales, who is a big tennis fan and has served as club patron since 2016, will arrive this year to present the trophies to the men’s and women’s singles champions.
In a major update, club chair Debbie Jevans said the tournament is still “hopeful” Kate will return to Centre Court after her welcomed appearance at Trooping the Colour in June.
“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,” she told the UK’s Daily Telegraph.
“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.
“I don’t know who would present the trophies as an alternative – that’s something to consider nearer the time if necessary.
The official added “we’re staying flexible” as to who will present the trophies, and “when we hear” of the role taker “we’ll then think about what’s the right thing to do”.
The duty has been carried out by a royal family member for over 70 years.
Prior to Princess Catherine carrying out the role, it was completed by the Duke and Duchess of Kent for decades.
In 1993, Katharine Kent famously showed her softer side when she comforted Jana Novotna on the court when she burst into tears after losing to Steffi Graf in the women’s final.
Three decades later, the Princess of Wales spun fans into a frenzy when she embraced Ons Jabeur following the Tunisian’s loss to Marketa Vondrousova in the 2023 final.
Royal watchers have tipped Kate to make her next public outing at Wimbledon due to the Princess of Wales’ love of tennis and her close friendship with eight-time Wimbledon champion Roger Federer.
Federer and his wife Mirka are family friends with Kate and William, with the Swiss sporting icon even giving Prince Louis private tennis lessons.