JUST IN: Princess Catherine Returns to Wimbledon Women’s Final, Receiving Warm Welcome as Royal Tradition Continues

Kate Middleton Takes Her Seat in the Royal Box at Wimbledon for the Women’s Final

The Princess of Wales traditionally awards the Wimbledon winner with their trophy in her royal role as patron of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club

Kate Middleton and her mother, Carole, attend the women’s final at the 2026 Wimbledon Tennis Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on July 11, 2026.Credit : Karwai Tang/WireImage

Kate Middleton is continuing her summer tradition at Wimbledon.

The Princess of Wales, 44, stepped out to attend the penultimate day of the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London on July 11. The ladies’ singles final, which takes place on the last Saturday of the Grand Slam tennis tournament, is a must-see match for Kate.

Princess Kate waved to fans as she made her way to her usual seat in the front row of the Royal Box, the exclusive 74-seat section of the stands at Centre Court, accompanied by her mother, Carole Middleton.

The tennis-playing royal is the patron of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, where Wimbledon is held, and has attended the tournament nearly every year since marrying Prince William in 2011. She looked stunning on Saturday in a red, belted Roland Mouret dress

Kate’s younger brother, James Middleton, and his wife, Alizée Thevenet, were also in attendance for Saturday’s match, sharing a pic of their “matchy matchy” outfits in Instagram.

Kate Middleton and her mother, Carole, arrive for the women’s final at the 2026 Wimbledon Tennis Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on July 11, 2026.Karwai Tang/WireImage

After taking her seat, Kate took in the women’s final with a seasoned pro: nine-time Wimbledon champ Martina Navratilova.

Kate Middleton and Martina Navratilova take in the women’s final match at the 2026 Wimbledon Championships at The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on July 11, 2026.HENRY NICHOLLS / AFP via Getty

In 2016, Queen Elizabeth named Kate as the new patron of the club. She has been a steadfast supporter of the Wimbledon competition since, attending many matches and often awarding trophies at the men’s and women’s finals.

Princess Kate last attended the ladies’ singles final last year, receiving a warm welcome from the crowd as she made her way to her seat at Centre Court with club chair Debbie Jevans. The royal was all smiles upon arrival and shook hands with tennis legend Billie Jean King, who greeted the royal with a curtsy.

After the match, the Princess of Wales made her way onto Centre Court to award trophies to winner Iga Świątek of Poland and runner-up Amanda Anisimova of the U.S.

The Princess of Wales made her 2026 Wimbledon debut on July 2, when she slipped into the stands to watch the fourth day of play after greeting some of the tennis fans who had lined up overnight hoping to score a seat.

The outing marked a milestone following her cancer journey, as it was her first time back at the early rounds since 2023.

In 2024 and 2025, Kate only attended Wimbledon’s finals weekends as she prioritized her health. Princess Kate announced in March 2024 that she was receiving cancer treatment and reduced her royal duties. She shared that she was in remission in January 2025 and slowly resumed a more regular schedule of royal work.

Princess Kate and Prince William have tennis courts at both Forest Lodge, their main base in Windsor, and Anmer Hall, their country home in Norfolk, and she’s known to bring her loved ones along to see some of the Wimbledon finals with her.

In 2025, Kate attended the last day of the championships with Prince William, Prince George, 12, and Princess Charlotte, 11, where Jannik Sinner beat Carlos Alcaraz in the gentlemen’s singles final.

The previous year, she had a girls’ day out at the men’s finals with her daughter, Charlotte, and sister, Pippa, where she received an emotional standing ovation from the stadium amid her cancer treatment.

SOURCE: https://people.com/kate-middleton-attends-wimbledon-womens-finals-royal-role-12013583