Amidst her ongoing cancer treatment, the possibility of Kate Middleton’s attendance at Wimbledon hangs in the balance, reportedly subject to the approval of “fiercely protective” Prince William, who will “decide whether she’s fit enough”.
The Princess of Wales is a known tennis fan and has served as the All-England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club patron since 2016. So naturally, speculation swirled about whether or not Kate will be at this year’s Grand Slam finals to present the trophies to the men’s and women’s singles champions.
Royal fans are in a spin about the 42-year-old’s potential appearance after Buckingham Palace confirmed Birgitte, Duchess of Gloucester’s attendance and as Princess Beatrice was sighted in the royal box on Tuesday.
According to Princess Diana’s former butler Paul Burrell, Kate “knows the world will want to see her” but William will be the one to “decide whether she’s fit enough” for Wimbledon.
“William controls this household and William will decide whether she’s well enough to do this because he’s the one that protects the family — fiercely,” Burrell told Closer Magazine.
Burrell added that there’s no way William is going to subject Kate to intrusion that she can’t handle. “He’s so fiercely protective.”
“With William by her side, Kate’s safe because he will take care of her and would never let anyone harm her. I think she trusts William implicitly and he has the final say,” he said.
This comes after Royal expert Emily Andrews told Grazia Magazine the Princess is pushing to visit Wimbledon if she “feels up to it” amid her treatment for an undisclosed type of cancer, which did not deter her from attending Trooping the Colour in June.
“Her treatment is ongoing, and will be for the next few months, but I understand she would like to visit the Wimbledon tennis tournament — she is a patron — if she feels up to it,” Andrews said.
If Kate does not attend the prestigious tennis event, Princess Beatrice (35) is tipped as her replacement after she was sighted in the royal box by the All England Lawn Tennis Club Chairman Deborah Jevans.
Her appearance alongside Jevans also quashed speculation that Birgitte, Duchess of Gloucester (78) would take over for the Princess of Wales if Kate is not feeling up to the job.
