Amid Cancer Treatment, Kate Middleton’s Possible Replacement Revealed for Wimbledon

It’s unclear if Kate Middleton will be able to attend The Wimbledon Championships this year, but organizers have come up with a 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 fulfill this duty if Middleton is not feeling well during finals weekend.

Middleton only recently returned to the public eye after spending half of 2024 focused on her cancer treatment, including preventative chemotherapy. She made her big return last month at Trooping the Colour, but she 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, with the chance 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 the British royal family’s Prince Richard – first cousin of Queen Elizabeth II. Birgitte, 78 years old, is reportedly a huge tennis fan, having served as the Honorary President of the Lawn and Tennis Association for 25 years. Her status would provide plenty of royal credibility for Wimbledon.

“We’re hopeful that the Princess of Wales will be able to present the trophies as the Club’s patron, but her health and recover 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 ever since 1907 when Prince George – later King George V – became the All England Club president. Since then, 10 different royals have presented the trophies. Queen Elizabeth II herself presented the awards several times while she was patron from 1952 to 2016. Middleton is an avid tennis fan as well, attending Wimbledon every year in the royal box. She became the royal patron of the club in 2016, and has been presenting trophies to the winners ever since.

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 may not be decided until Saturday morning.