Kate Middleton would “love” to be at Wimbledon, says a friend

The Wimbledon tennis tournament, with its lush green lawns, crisp white clothes and pink strawberries, is synonymous with the British summer.

And although the focus is of course on tennis, the All England Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club has skilfully used its connection to the British royal family for many years to give the tournament global appeal and success.

And no one has helped transform Wimbledon’s image from a somewhat old-fashioned sporting ritual into a chic, up-and-coming and socially splendid event more than its current patron, Princess Catherine of Wales.

It helps that she’s a real tennis fanatic, taking her family to Wimbledon for years before William was even on her radar. In fact, Kate’s parents, Carole and Mike, were at the event in London on Thursday – an appearance that many hope bodes well for an appearance by Kate herself.

Of course, after her devastating cancer diagnosis, Kate has rarely been seen in public this year – not even at her headline-grabbing appearance at the Trooping the Color ceremony on June 15.

Hopes are high that Kate can make a dramatic return to the Royal Box on Centre Court and present the winner’s trophy one week from Sunday for the highlight of the week – the men’s final.

A friend of Kate and William told The Daily Beast: “It’s no secret that she would love to be there, but during chemotherapy, as she herself said, there are good days and bad days. A lot depends on the timing of the treatments. She made it to Trooping the Colour, so if she can make it to Wimbledon, she’ll make it.”

Karwai Tang/Getty Images

Wimbledon President Debbie Jevans also expressed optimism that Kate could make it, and told the Daily Telegraph: “We hope that the Princess of Wales, as patron of the club, will be able to present the trophies, but her health and recovery is paramount. We don’t know what we don’t know. We’ve just said we’ll work with her and give her as much flexibility as we can.”

Catherine’s office had no comment.

The royal connection with Wimbledon began over a century ago, in 1907, when the then Prince of Wales and his wife, Princess Mary, attended the championships. As King George V and Queen Mary, they continued to be patrons of the event and their son Bertie, later King George VI, even took part in the men’s doubles in 1926, making him the only royal to have played at Wimbledon.

Queen Elizabeth II took on the role of patron, but was apparently not a big fan of the tournament. During her reign she only attended the tournament four times. Her cousin, the Duke of Kent, the club’s president, represented her at the trophy presentation.

Dylan Martinez/Reuters

Elizabeth handed over the patronage to Kate, a passionate tennis fan, in 2016, bringing new excitement and attention to the tournament. Kate can often be seen at matches, chatting to players and spectators.

Rumors that Kate would attend intensified after Kate said in a statement last month: “As anyone going through chemotherapy knows, there are good days and bad days. My treatment is ongoing and will continue for a few more months… I hope to be able to attend some public appointments over the summer but also know that I am not out of the woods yet.”