Princess Kate Middleton was taken aback in the best way by the display of support from fans at Wimbledon earlier this month.
“The ovation at Wimbledon was unexpected,” a source tells Us Weekly exclusively, noting that Kate, 43, was “really surprised and felt humbled by it.”
The Princess of Wales attended the ladies’ singles final at Wimbledon on July 12. Upon her entrance into the venue, Kate received a standing ovation from the audience. Videos of the moment which circulated on social media showed Kate getting visibly emotional as fans cheered.
“She felt really good, and it reinforced her recovery and that everyone is rooting for her,” the source adds. “She doesn’t follow the press so to get a real-world reaction was incredibly fulfilling for her.”
Kate announced in March 2024 that she was diagnosed with an undisclosed type of cancer. By September 2024, Kate announced that she had completed her chemotherapy treatments. Kate confirmed in January that she was officially in remission.
Earlier this month, Kate detailed her post-cancer life in a rare comment — explaining that she still faces some struggles.
“You put on a sort of brave face, stoicism through treatment. Treatment’s done, then it’s like, ‘I can crack on, get back to normal,’ but actually, the phase afterwards is really, really difficult,” she said during a July 2 public appearance. “You’re not necessarily under the clinical team any longer, but you’re not able to function normally at home as you perhaps once used to.”
The royal said that it “takes time” to find a “new normal” even after her health is back on track.
“It’s a roller-coaster, it’s not smooth, like you expect it to be,” she added. “But the reality is you go through hard times.”
After her first Wimbledon appearance on July 12, Kate returned to the competition with other royal family members in tow. She and husband Prince William brought children Prince George, 12, and Princess Charlotte, 10, with them to the outing. (The couple also share Prince Louis, 7, but he was not in attendance.)
The same source tells Us that bringing the kids to such a public event was important to Kate.
“It stemmed from her desire to blend her royals duties with family time and create some normalcy for the kids amid her health journey,” the insider adds. “It was a deliberate choice to include them in a positive high-profile event so they can all enjoy it. It’s signaling she is back.”
