Kate Middleton’s Potential Wimbledon Stand-In Revealed Amid Cancer Treatment

It’s uncertain if Kate Middleton will be able to attend The Wimbledon Championships this year, but organizers have prepared a backup plan to fulfill her duties just in case. Middleton is the official Club Patron for the All England Club and she typically presents the trophies to the winners of Wimbledon. According to a report by The Telegraph, Birgitte, Duchess of Gloucester will be on hand to step in if Middleton is not feeling well during finals weekend.

Middleton recently returned to the public eye after spending the first half of 2024 focused on her cancer treatment, which included preventative chemotherapy. She made her big return last month at Trooping the Colour but is still far from returning to work at full capacity. The All England Club chair Debbie Jevans told reporters that they are giving Middleton “as much flexibility as possible” in the lead-up to the Wimbledon finals, allowing her to make her decision on the very morning of the women’s final on Saturday.

If Middleton is not available, her duties will reportedly be carried out by the Duchess of Gloucester, born Birgitte Eva van Deurs Henriksen. Birgitte was born in Denmark and married Prince Richard of the British royal family, who is a first cousin of Queen Elizabeth II. Birgitte, 78 years old, is an avid tennis fan, having served as the Honorary President of the Lawn and Tennis Association for 25 years. Her association with tennis and her royal status would provide ample credibility to the Wimbledon event.

“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,” Jevans said. “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.”

Wimbledon trophies have been presented by members of the royal family since 1907 when Prince George, who later became King George V, took the role of the All England Club president. Since then, 10 different royals have presented the trophies. Queen Elizabeth II herself presented the awards multiple times while she was a patron from 1952 to 2016. Middleton, an avid tennis fan, has been attending Wimbledon every year in the royal box and became the club’s royal patron in 2016. She has been presenting trophies to the winners since her appointment.

The Wimbledon finals will take place this weekend in London, England. In the U.S., you can stream the matches on ESPN+. Middleton’s attendance and participation might not be decided until Saturday morning.

(Photo: London, England – July 05: Birgitte, Duchess of Gloucester attends day three of the Wimbledon Tennis Championships at All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on July 05, 2023, in London, England. (Photo by Karwai Tang/WireImage) – Karwai Tang]).

Source: The Telegraph