Kate Middleton Steps Into Highlight at Wimbledon Trophy Ceremony

Kate Middleton continued a royal Wimbledon custom: handing out the trophies.

The Princess of Wales, 42, stepped onto Centre Courtroom on July 14 following the lads’s singles remaining between Carlos Alcaraz of Spain and Novak Djokovic of Serbia, awarding the prizes to the athletes in her function as patron of the All England Garden Tennis and Croquet Membership. Kate has held the place since 2016, when it was given to her by her late grandmother-in-law Queen Elizabeth.

Alcaraz beat Djokovic 6-2 6-2 7-6(4) within the Wimbledon remaining on Sunday. Princess Kate final awarded the trophies on the males’s remaining final yr, which additionally noticed Alcaraz play Djokovic.

As each gamers accepted their trophies, they gave a slight bow to Kate. She shook their palms warmly, congratulating them on their victories and exchanging a couple of phrases as she introduced their prizes.

After weeks of hypothesis, Kensington Palace confirmed on July 13 that Kate would attend the tennis event and participate within the trophy shows amid her most cancers remedy. All England Garden Tennis and Croquet Membership chair Debbie Jevans advised Telegraph Sport in a June 27 article that they may give the royal “as a lot flexibility as attainable” concerning her determination.

The outing marked the Princess of Wales’ second public look this yr after asserting her most cancers prognosis in March. She was joined by two particular friends within the Royal Field at Centre Courtroom: her daughter, Princess Charlotte, and her sister, Pippa Middleton. As they took their seats, the group rose to their toes to offer Kate a standing ovation — prompting a look of admiration from Charlotte. Princess Kate appeared visibly moved by the gesture, smiling and waving in response.

Photographer Karwai Tang tells PEOPLE, “When [Kate] often is available in, she walks down the steps and into her seat. She doesn’t usually stand and wave. However she stood for some time and took all of it in. For her to acknowledge it and take within the applause was particular.”

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Different notable attendees within the Royal Field for the lads’s championship match included Tom Cruise, Benedict Cumberbatch, Andre Agassi and London’s Mayor Sadiq Khan.