It has been anything but a normal year for the Princess of Wales in 2024, and, in addition to the obvious—an earth-shattering cancer diagnosis—so much of Kate’s life has changed this past year, not the least of which that she’s only been seen publicly in an official capacity twice in the entirety of 2024. Being behind closed doors—especially when you’re as active and vibrant as Kate is—has to be jarring, and her most recent public appearance at Wimbledon earlier this week “will have given her sustenance,” a palace source told People. “She has gone through something awful and stressful, and it is crucial to have little wins to look forward to or to give you the courage and energy to go forward. And this was it.”
Presenting the trophies at Wimbledon is something Kate does every year, so doing so even in the midst of a very abnormal year must have brought a bit of normality to her.
When Kate arrived at the Royal Box at Centre Court on Sunday, accompanied by daughter Princess Charlotte and sister Pippa Middleton Matthews, she looked visibly moved by the standing ovation she received, and her decision to attend “showed a lot of courage and character, as she knew that the world was watching,” said royal biographer Robert Jobson, whose latest, Catherine: The Princess of Wales, is out August 6.
People reports Kate “appeared to have gained some comfort from the reception and being out and about,” and royal photographer Karwai Tang said of her entrance to the tournament that “She usually comes in, walks down and into her seat,” Tang said. “But she stood for a while and took it all in. For her to acknowledge it and take in the applause was special. Wimbledon has been waiting with bated breath for her to return, and she was back.”
Kate seemed visibly touched by her standing ovation on Sunday.
A source close to the royal household said “It’s good not to feel under pressure and just take her time and have slow days if she needs to,” they said. To that point, Jobson said the shift in priorities around her health as she continues to receive treatment for cancer has been crucial.
“Before, she used to live her life by the calendar, and now she is living her life, and the calendar comes in after,” Jobson said. “She will be back, but when you have had an experience like this, it changes your perspective and the order of things.”
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