Kate at Wimbledon with Charlotte and Pippa

The Princess of Wales was warmly welcomed onto Wimbledon’s Centre Court yesterday; it was her second public appearance of 2024, which is really extraordinary to think about. Kate was accompanied by her daughter Princess Charlotte and sister Pippa Matthews. I was so thrilled to see a ladies’ day at Wimbledon in the royal box. Of course, although Kate was there to cheer on the tremendous athletes, she was also herself the subject of an outpouring of goodwill from the crowd. It was moving to watch.

That said, I suppose I should not have been surprised to see that Kate drew criticism from some fans for attending Wimbledon at all. Among other allegations, I heard people say she should not have chosen a sporting event that she enjoys and instead should have gone to some other charity event with no personal connections. Kate has an ostensible connection and passion for all her charities, and I am guessing the other charities would take some offense at the idea Kate views their events as a chore.

Nevertheless, Wimbledon was an eminently appropriate event to attend in the midst of her cancer journey. First of all, Kate said from the start that she would only attend a few events in total over the next several months as she finishes her cancer treatment. Like Trooping, this was another good event where the environment could be controlled—Kate could stay seated for the majority of the time, she did not interact with the general public, and photographers are actually more limited at Wimbledon than a regular engagement. Finally, Kate is the patron of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, and Wimbledon is a centerpiece of British summer culture and an international sporting event where England—as host—takes center stage.

Both Trooping and Wimbledon are special events set apart from ordinary engagements. Wimbledon is an international brand with significant prestige that benefits the U.K. Kate does not have to forego an event like that simply because she also enjoys it. Besides, why shouldn’t she mix work and pleasure after everything she has been through in the last seven months? Do people really begrudge her an afternoon enjoying the pinnacle competition of a sport for which she has such personal passion? She should get right back to drudgery after her time suffering chemo? What a bizarre and frankly unkind argument to make. This was a beautiful event to make a rare appearance at—a sport close to the heart of the U.K., on the international stage, accompanied by her sister and daughter. Picture perfect.

In any event, on to fashion. Kate chose a Safiyaa dress with an altered neckline. I loved the silhouette of this dress and the beautiful way it moved, but I am not sure I loved the look of the altered bodice. Given her resources, I would have just found another dress that had a higher neckline. That said, the “modesty panel” did not detract too much from the look; I still thought this ensemble was fantastic.

Kate wore the Sabine Hoops from By Pariah Fine Jewelry, two Halcyon Days bangles (one old and one new), and Victoria Beckham sunnies. The Princess was carrying an L.K. Bennett handbag and wearing Camilla Elphick slingback heels.

It is amazing how Charlotte is growing. She is in that zone when she is really starting to look grown up and yet also still very much a child. Such a sweet and doubtless bittersweet time for William and Kate. Time certainly flies.

A quick word on Pippa. She was pretty in pink Beulah London, wearing Chanel sunnies, and carrying an Emmy London clutch. I love almost everything Beulah, and this dress was no exception. I am sure Pippa coordinated with Kate, and their ensembles complemented nicely. Loved seeing her on a sister-date.

Finally, Kate and Charlotte met Barbora Krejčíková, who won the ladies’ singles on Saturday. I am sure Charlotte and Kate watched the match on their couch, and how nice for them to congratulate the champion in person. Barbora presented Charlotte with her racket, which is quite the prize to take home!

I watched the men’s match from couch. I am a huge Djokovic fan, so it was brutal from that perspective, but the silver lining is that Carlos is such an amiable and stupendous talent. I know that although I am always rooting against him when he plays Djokovic, I will be in his corner for many years to come as he takes on the mantle. It was a wonderful day!

NB: This post takes the place of today’s Monday Memory.