The Princess of Wales made a triumphant return to Wimbledon yesterday, and eagle-eyed fans may have spotted the royal sporting her favourite green and purple bow for the occasion.
The 42-year-old royal became a patron of the All England Lawn and Tennis Club, also known as the AELTC (which organises the day-to-day running of Wimbledon), in 2016.
Since 2017, the mother-of-three has worn the elegant brooch, which features the tournament’s iconic colours, every time she has visited Wimbledon.
Yesterday, the Princess opted for a stunning £1,295 lavender dress by Safiyaa London for her second public engagement since announcing she is undergoing cancer treatment.
Kate debuted her green and purple bow in 2017, when she paired it with a short-sleeved white dress.
Kate opted for a stunning £1295 lavender dress by Safiyaa for yesterday’s action-packed day.
Pictured: The Princess of Wales wearing her purple and green Wimbledon ribbon for the first time in 2017
The future Queen has since worn it to her annual appearances at the Grand Slam event.
Last year, the Princess of Wales wore the prestigious accessory on the final day of the pageant with her elegant emerald green Roland Mouret gown.
In 2022, she pinned it on her chest alongside her navy polka dot Alessandra Rich dress and also on her bright yellow Roksanda dress.
More than just an accessory, the Princess’s Wimbledon brooch is actually a symbol of royal patronage, a gift from Queen Elizabeth II.
Kate took over the role of patron in 2016 from the late Queen, who had held the position for 64 years.
The accessory is worn by members of the Management Committee during the Fortnight, the AELTC Main Board and representatives of the LTA. It signifies their responsibilities as the governing Committee of the tournament.
Traditionally, the Patron has always been awarded a ribbon by the Committee in recognition of her role, so the Duchess has decided to wear it when visiting the Championships.
Other persons who also received an honorary bow from the Committee are the Executive Director.
In 2022, she pinned the bow across her chest along with her navy polka dot Alessandra Rich dress.
Last year, the Princess of Wales wore the prestigious accessory on the final day of the pageant with her elegant emerald green Roland Mouret gown.
The royal, 42, has been the patron of the All England Lawn and Tennis Club, also known as the AELTC since 2016. Above: sporting the topknot in 2023
Kate Middleton wore her green and purple Wimbledon bow on her bright yellow Roksanda dress in 2022
Last year, Kate Middleton was photographed sporting the bun alongside an umbrella as she watched a match in the rain.
Pictured: The Princess of Wales with the late Queen during the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee tour in 2012. The Queen was patron of the AELTC from 1952 to 2016.
The current colours, dark green and purple, were introduced in 1909 because the club’s previous colours, blue, yellow, red and green, were too similar to those of the Royal Marines.
Traditionally, the Patron has always been awarded a ribbon by the Committee in recognition of her role, so the Duchess has decided to wear it when visiting the Championships.
Other persons who also received an honorary bow from the Committee are the Executive Director.
Nine-year-old Kate and Charlotte and their mother, the Princess of Wales, 42, arrived to take their seats in the Royal Box on Centre Court, and were greeted with a standing ovation and applause.
The duo and Kate’s sister Pippa Middleton watched reigning champion Carlos Alcaraz take on veteran Novak Djokovic, winning in three sets.
Nine-year-old Kate and Charlotte spoke to tennis star Alcaraz off the court and revealed they had been watching his performance at home.
The mother-of-three, who has stepped back from public royal duties while undergoing cancer treatment, said: “This is Charlotte, (she was) cheering you on. You had all hearts crossed.
Nine-year-olds Kate and Charlotte spoke to tennis talent Alcaraz off the court and revealed she had been watching tennis at home.
The mother-of-three, who has stepped back from public royal duties while undergoing cancer treatment, was pictured today with her daughter.
Alcaraz, dressed entirely in white and holding the trophy, replied: “Nice to meet you.”
Kate then said: “We’ve seen a lot on TV so it’s great to finally meet you,” before repeating herself as the athlete struggled to hear her.
A starstruck Charlotte looked slightly shy as she stood next to Kate and smiled at Alcaraz during their conversation, while her aunt Pippa stood behind the pair and beamed at the interaction.
Before presenting the trophy to Alcaraz, Kate commiserated and shook hands with runner-up Novak Djokovic.
Dressed in a bespoke Safiyaa gown worth £1,295, the royal was greeted with a standing ovation as she made her way to the royal box at Wimbledon earlier in the day.
Before the mother-daughter duo took their seats in the royal box, they met with stars of women’s tennis, including Emma Radacanu, 21, who presented Kate with a bouquet of flowers.
Charlotte was beaming from ear to ear as she met up with the tennis star, who sadly saw her Wimbledon dream crushed on Centre Court by New Zealand qualifier Lulu Sun last week.
Kate and Charlotte were also greeted by Sonay Kartal, Lily Miyazaki, Lucy Shuker and Flora Johnson as they arrived on the players’ lawn at Wimbledon before entering Centre Court.
Charlotte made a pinky promise to Shuker, a wheelchair tennis player, that she would try the sport alongside her mother.
A starstruck Charlotte looked a little shy as she stood next to Kate and smiled at Alcaraz during their conversation, while her aunt Pippa stood behind the pair and smiled at the interaction.
Kate Middleton and Charlotte were smiling and smiling throughout the entire match.
Kate also met Raducanu, who was eliminated in the fourth round of this year’s championship, and told her: “It was really hard to see you go out.”
US Open winner Raducanu said it was “amazing” to have the support of the princess and “to see her here so healthy and happy.”
The daughter of the Prince and Princess of Wales, who wore a £70 polka dot dress from Guess, was delighted to meet the tennis star and was pictured grinning from ear to ear in his presence.
The mother and daughter then learned about the ‘Work at Wimbledon’ programme, which supports young people from different backgrounds who work at the championships.
Alcaraz now has four Grand Slam trophies with a perfect record in major finals, following his two Wimbledon triumphs, his US Open win in 2022 and his Roland Garros triumph last month. The loss denied Djokovic his 25th Grand Slam title to overtake Margaret Court on the all-time list and also equal Roger Federer’s haul of eight men’s singles titles at Wimbledon.