The Great Kate Wimbledon Debate: Will the Princess of Wales Turn Up to Watch Tennis This Weekend?

But 2024 has thrown a wrench into things. Following Kate’s heartbreaking announcement in March that she was undergoing preventative chemotherapy for cancer, the royal diary was abandoned, as were any and all expectations placed upon the Princess of Wales. (Of course, this flexibility and understanding came on the heels of a horrific conspiracy theory-driven news cycle about her whereabouts, but that’s all water under the Tower Bridge at this point, right?)

More than anything, we collectively agreed to let Kate be, making peace with the now-familiar sight of a slimmed down monarchy with Queen Camilla, Duchess Sophie and Princess Anne taking center stage.

But then we got a royal glimmer: An Instagram post ahead of King Charles’s official birthday celebration, Trooping the Colour, in June proclaimed that Kate would be in attendance, joining her husband, Prince William, on the royal balcony, not to mention accompanying her children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, for what turned out to be a rainy royal carriage ride as part of the procession. Kate was back, but with a clearly stated caveat in her caption: She hoped to join a few public engagements over the summer, but, she added to manage our over-eager expectations, “I am not out of the woods yet.”

Do those public engagements include Wimbledon? whispered many a royal watcher at the time. (No pressure, Princess Kate.)

The royals’ calendar, despite Kate’s continued absence, kept calm and carried on: There was Royal Ascot, a State Visit with Japan, heck, there was even a Taylor Swift concert with William busting out the dad moves for his birthday alongside his kids. Our expectations of a Kate appearance at these occasions were slim, but also left us ticking off a checklist of remaining high-profile royal events pegged for summer. At this point, the Wimbledon finals—set for this weekend on Saturday and Sunday—is pretty much the only major royal event left before their summer holidays begin.

Am I optimistic that Kate will be there? Of course. Speculation is already running high about whether or not she’ll turn up. I’d love to see her in the royal box this weekend, alongside William or, better yet, her kids. (Remember the fashion fanfare around Princess Charlotte’s sunnies? Hard to believe that lighthearted moment was only last year.)

But I also want to relieve Kate of the spectator pressure until she’s good and ready. (Sounds like the palace does, too, given they’ve already named the tennis-loving royal who will step in in Kate’s absence: Birgitte, the Duchess of Gloucester, who is married to Queen Elizabeth’s cousin, Prince Richard, will be on deck to hand out the trophies should Kate be unable to attend.)

After all, it’s one thing to stand on the balcony and ride contained in a horse and carriage for Trooping. It’s quite another to sit courtside for what typically is an hours-long tennis match. (When Carlos Alcaraz defeated Novak Djokovic last year, it was a nail-biter—and lasted over three hours.)

Something I discussed with my co-host of the Royally Obsessed podcast, Roberta Fiorito, this week: If Kate does attend this weekend, let’s hope that she at least ditches her typically tiny royal purse for a ludicrously capacious bag filled with essentials to maximize her comfort while in the spotlight. Again, with the cameras trained on her every move in the royal box, sitting on the sidelines sans an exit strategy could feel intense. Although, we suppose in a pinch Kate could simply give the royal signal, Queen Elizabeth-style, and be whisked out at a moment’s notice with none of us being the wiser.

Still, if Kate does make a Wimbledon appearance in the coming days, I take a lot of comfort knowing that her attendance feels like something that is ultimately her call. She is the one helming the decisions when it comes to what takes priority on her royal calendar. The fact that it could be Wimbledon? That effort to show up amidst her health struggles at an event that deeply aligns with her personal and professional passions feels spot-on.

Is it also a signal that she continues to make progress in the right direction when it comes to her health? We hope so. Either way, we’ll be watching and cheering her on, should she decide to be a spectator seated center court...or more comfortably behind-the-scenes.