Signs Princess Kate could make Wimbledon appearance amid recovery
The Princess of Wales is a regular at Wimbledon and royal watchers are wondering if Kate will make an appearance at the tennis tournament this year.
Kate, 42, has been out of the public eye since undergoing major abdominal surgery in January and then beginning preventative chemotherapy following a cancer diagnosis.
Kensington Palace has not confirmed whether the Princess will be attending Wimbledon but Kate shared an update about her health in June, saying that she is "making good progress" but "there are good days and bad days".
Kate said that she hopes to "join a few public engagements over the summer", while "equally knowing I am not out of the woods yet".
She added: "My treatment is ongoing and will be for a few more months. On the days I feel well enough, it is a joy to engage with school life, spend personal time on the things that give me energy and positivity, as well as starting to do a little work from home."
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Her statement came ahead of her appearance at Trooping the Colour, where she joined the carriage procession with her three children and appeared on the balcony to watch the flypast.
Kate became patron of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club (AELTC) and traditionally presents trophies to the Wimbledon champion.
However, the All England Club chair Debbie Jevans confirmed that organisers are "staying flexible" over who will participate in the trophy presentation if the Princess is unable to.
Debbie told Telegraph Sport: "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.
“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."
Avid tennis fan
Kate's love of tennis stems back to her childhood and she has only ever missed Wimbledon once - in 2013 when she was heavily pregnant with Prince George.
The royal told Sue Barker on a 2017 BBC documentary: "I have watched Wimbledon, that was very much part of my growing up. It's such a quintessential part of the English summer, and I think it really inspires youngsters, myself, it inspired me when I was younger to get involved in the game. It hasn't changed either, I think that's what's so wonderful."
The Princess' parents, Carole and Michael Middleton, and her younger siblings, Pippa and James, are also huge tennis fans, and have all accompanied Kate in the royal box over the years.
Kate also loves to hit the court and has reportedly had private lessons at the private Hurlingham Club in the past. The Middletons count Swiss star, Roger Federer, among their friends and the Princess teamed up with him to celebrate the ball boys and girls of Wimbledon last year.
In recent years, Prince William and Kate's eldest children, Prince George, ten, and Princess Charlotte, nine, have accompanied their parents to the tournament.
The young royals clearly share William and Kate's passion for the sport as their reactions showed!
