She's back! Princess Kate returned to Wimbledon on Sunday, July 14, alongside her daughter, Princess Charlotte, and her sister, Pippa Middleton Matthews.
For her triumphant return to the oldest and arguably most prestigious tennis tournament in the world, Kate Middleton choose a regal-looking, purple Safiyaa dress featuring a ruched bodice and softly flared skirt.
The color of Princess Kate's dress was no-doubt intentional—not only is purple a historically regal color adorned by centuries of monarchs, it is also closely associated with Wimbledon and its iconic purple and green logo.
To accessorize her Wimbledon-worthy fit, the Princess of Wales wore a pair of Sabine Hoop earrings from British independent jeweler By Pariah.
Her daughter, Princess Charlotte, wore an adorable blue-and-white polka-dot dress, highlighted by a matching blue bow perfectly placed in her hair.
Her sister, Pippa Middleton Matthews, appeared alongside the mother-daughter duo wearing a white and pink, floral Peony Teaberry dress by Beulah London, featuring a striking frill overlay.
As the patron of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club—a role Princess Kate received in 2016 courtesy of the late Queen Elizabeth—it's customary for the Princess of Wales to attend both the men's and women's finals.
This year, due to her ongoing preventative treatment for an unspecified type of cancer, Middleton missed the women's final, but is thankfully in attendance to watch the men's finals match between Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic.
At the end of the match, the Princess of Wales will present the trophy to the winner, as is customary.
Last year, Middleton decided to wear a trio of only green dresses to the tournament—a mint green Balmain blazer with a white pleated skirt and heels, a tennis ball green Self Portrait dress, and a Roland Mouret dress in emerald green.
To the surprise of no one, the choice to wear green-only outfits was another significant fashion decision as it's not only the Princess of Wales' favorite color but it paid homage to the other official Wimbledon color, "Wimbledon green."
Princess Kate has taken a step back from royal life since announcing she has been diagnosed with an unspecified type of cancer and is currently undergoing preventative chemotherapy treatments in private and alongside her immediate family.
Recent reports indicated that while Middleton very much wanted to attend this year's Wimbledon Championships, the decision was ultimately going to come down to her husband, Prince William, who to the surprise of some was not in attendance.
"William controls this household, and William will decide whether she’s well enough to do this, because he’s the one that protects the family—fiercely,” former royal butler Paul Burrell—who worked for the royal family for 21 years—told The Sun. “There’s no way he’s going to subject Kate to intrusion that she can’t handle.”
On Saturday, July 13, Kensington Palace confirmed Middleton would, in fact, watch the men's finals in person.
Middleton's Wimbledon appearance marks only her second, official public outing this year. In June, the royal made her highly-anticipated return to the public eye during this year's Trooping the Colour, wearing a white, long-sleeve dress by Jenny Packham with an exaggerated contrasting ribbon tied at her collar. She paired her dress with a white, angled hat by Philip Treacy.
Middleton's appearance at this year's Wimbledon was not only a welcomed treat for those in the crowd and spectators watching around the world, but likely for the Princess of Wales herself, who has long been a fan of the sport and the tournament in particular.
"It’s such a quintessential part of the English summer, and I think it really inspires youngsters, myself—it inspired me when I was younger to get involved in the game," Middleton said of Wimbledon in the 2017 BBC documentary titled Sue Barker: Our Wimbledon.
"It hasn’t changed, either. I think that’s what’s so wonderful.”
