The Gist

• Kate Middleton dazzled in a surprise July 2 appearance at Wimbledon.

• The Princess of Wales has long been a fan of the iconic tennis tournament—an event she faithfully attends each summer.

• The future queen wore a sky blue linen suit and $79 lapis lazuli and moonstone earrings as she helped hand out tickets to shocked fans.

Kate Middleton surprised and delighted members of the public in the queue for Wimbledon—some of whom had been there since 4 a.m.

On July 2, the Princess of Wales made an unexpected appearance at the iconic tennis tournament, helping hand out tickets to fans who had been waiting since the crack of dawn to see the matches in action. The future queen, who is patron of the All England Lawn Tennis Club and has been for a decade now, looked stunning in a sky blue linen suit. Per The Telegraph, she personally handed tickets to a group of attendees, telling them, “Have a really fun time.”

She also was seen smiling, laughing, and taking photos with visitors. One attendee congratulated the princess on her grueling Three Peaks Challenge—where she climbed the highest mountains in Scotland, England, and Wales over the weekend—and Kate spoke to two “excited” children, per The Telegraph, asking them if they were big tennis fans. To this, the youngsters “smiled and nodded,” according to the outlet.

Along with Kate’s pantsuit—which she paired with a white top—The Daily Mail reported that the princess wore $79 lapis lazuli and moonstone earrings from Wolf & Badger. With Kate’s chic ponytail, the earrings were on perfect display.

The Princess of Wales is a keen tennis fan and spent some of the day watching play on the court before meeting children from Shine Camera Club, a photography program that supports children from disadvantaged backgrounds. Kate, of course, dabbles in photography herself, and The Telegraph reported that she will view a portrait series created by the charity’s students last year that highlights community trailblazers.

The royal will then join children as they photograph the tournament, according to the publication.

Since marrying into the royal family in 2011, Wimbledon has been a must-do item on the princess’s list most summers. The only summers she missed was in 2013, while heavily pregnant with Prince George, and in 2020, when the tournament was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Even in 2024—the same year she was diagnosed with cancer and made minimal appearances—Kate didn’t miss Wimbledon. It was only her second public appearance of the entirety of 2024 up to that point.

That year, the Princess of Wales wore a bespoke purple dress from Safiyaa—a nod not only to an official color of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, but also to royalty and her own strength.

Purple is “also the color of courage, which could be a nod to what she is going through,” Bethan Holt, fashion director at The Telegraph, told People at the time.

“I think she looked glowing and radiant, and it was lovely to see her looking so relaxed,” Holt added. “I’m sure lots of people will have seen how happy she looked and taken reassurance from that. She really is a kind of beacon of hope for many, but that also comes with a lot of pressure.”