Princess Kate made a stunning return to the public eye at Wimbledon on Sunday, joined by her charming daughter, Princess Charlotte, and her stylish sister, Pippa Middleton.
The family trio turned heads as they attended the final day of the prestigious tournament, with Kate revealing a heartwarming detail about her daughter's support for the tennis champion, Carlos Alcaraz.
The Princess of Wales, 42, spoke to Carlos later on at the Clubhouse after he clinched the Grand Slam for the second year in a row.
Dressed in a stunning £1295 bespoke dress from Safiyaa, Princess Kate was the epitome of elegance after she made her way to the Royal Box, greeted with a standing ovation.
But it was the adorable Princess Charlotte, nine, who stole the show after the match. Standing beside her mother, Charlotte was visibly excited as she met Carlos later on at the Clubhouse.
© Andrew Parsons - PA ImagesPrincess Kate, who has been balancing her royal duties with her ongoing cancer treatment, introduced her daughter to the tennis star later off-court saying, "This is Charlotte, [she was] cheering you on. You had everything crossed." The young princess looked slightly shy but smiled brightly, showing her adorable enthusiasm.
Carlos, dressed in all-white and holding his trophy, responded with a warm, "Nice to meet you." Princess Kate added, "We've watched a lot on telly, so it's great to finally get to meet you," repeating herself as the athlete struggled to hear her over the noise of the celebration.
© Twitter/Platform XThe sweet interaction was a highlight of the day, with Pippa Middleton, standing behind Princess Kate and Charlotte, beaming at the special moment.
The royal family had a busy day at Wimbledon, also meeting with female tennis stars including 21-year-old Emma Raducanu, who presented Princess Kate with a bouquet of flowers.
© Getty ImagesPrincess Charlotte grinned from ear to ear as she interacted with the tennis star, who had faced a tough loss on Centre Court the previous week.
Kate and Charlotte were also greeted by Sonay Kartal, Lily Miyazaki, Lucy Shuker, and Flora Johnson on the players' lawn before entering Centre Court. In a touching moment, Princess Charlotte made a 'pinky promise' with wheelchair tennis player Shuker to try the sport alongside her mother. Kate, who has tried wheelchair rugby before, accepted the challenge, saying, "You'll have to hold me to that."
Emma, who was knocked out in the fourth round of this year's championships, expressed her admiration for Princess Kate's resilience. "It's amazing to see her be such a champion of tennis and following all of us," she said. "We just spoke a little bit about my tournament and the tennis, and also how I missed last year but I was very excited to come back this year. And a little bit about her tennis because she loves it."
© AARON CHOWNPrincess Kate's determination to support her family and fulfil her royal duties despite her health challenges has been nothing short of inspirational.
She has been undergoing chemotherapy and made her first public appearance since announcing her diagnosis in March at the Trooping the Colour ceremony in London last month. She did not attend the women's singles final on Saturday, where Wimbledon chairwoman Debbie Jevans presented the trophy to Barbora Krejcikova on her behalf.
The day was filled with joyous moments as Princess Charlotte's excitement shone through. The young princess, wearing a £70 Polka Dot dress from Guess, was thrilled to meet the tennis stars and was photographed smiling widely.
© Getty ImagesThe mother-daughter duo also met the 'Work at Wimbledon' programme, which supports young people from diverse backgrounds with roles at the Championships.
Carlos, who now boasts four Grand Slam trophies with a perfect record in major finals, was the man of the moment. His victories at Wimbledon, the U.S. Open in 2022, and the French Open last month have solidified his status as a tennis great.
Despite the defeat, Novak Djokovic, aiming for a record 25th Grand Slam title, graciously accepted his runner-up position, shaking hands with Kate before the trophy presentation.
While Prince George, 10, was absent, possibly indicating his presence at the Euros final in Berlin with his father, the Prince of Wales, the family’s love for tennis was evident.
Kate shared that Charlotte had been 'practising yesterday' and emphasised the sport's benefits for youngsters. "As a family, we play a lot," she added, mentioning how she and Charlotte had been 'filling in the leaderboard' during Wimbledon.
