Kate Middleton has not yet attended Wimbledon this year, although organisers are still “hoping” she will make an appearance before the tournament ends on July 14.
Instead, the princess’s parents, Carole and Michael Middleton, attended the high-profile event on Thursday.
Carol, 69, was pictured at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club wearing a floral dress under a cream jacket while Michael, 74, wore a navy suit and yellow patterned tie.
The Princess of Wales usually attends the annual event, but was noticeably absent as she continues treatment for her cancer diagnosis, which she revealed in March.
However, All England Club chairman Debbie Jevans told Telegraph Sport in June that the club remained optimistic that Kate, who has been patron of the All England Club since 2016, would be able to appear.
“We hope the Princess of Wales will be able to present the awards as patron of the club, but her health and recovery are the priority,” Jevans told the newspaper.
“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,” she continued.
If she attends, it will be Kate’s second public appearance since her diagnosis was announced, after joining the rest of the royal family at this year’s annual Trooping the Colour ceremony last month.
The Princess of Wales wore a long-sleeved white coat with a black bow as she rode in a carriage with her children Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, 9, and Prince Louis, 6, during King Charles III’s birthday celebrations.
Shortly after the event, royal expert Katie Nicholl predicted that it would be some time before fans would be able to see Kate in any more public appearances due to the toll it took to attend such a high-profile event.
“I think on a day like Saturday where you know the eyes of the world are on her, there’s going to be a tremendous amount of scrutiny that’s going to affect her,” Nicole explained. “I don’t think we can expect to see her in public for a while. It’s going to take some time to recover.”
“She was on her feet for a long time,” Nicole added. “There was a moment when she watched the parade… and she was offered a seat, which she gratefully accepted. It’s just a small acknowledgement that she’s not as strong, not as fit, as she was before she had this treatment.”
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