Why Kate Middleton’s first Wimbledon 2023 appearance might require some serious patience from fans

Kate Middleton’s first Wimbledon 2023 appearance hasn't happened yet and fans could have to wait for quite some time to see the future Queen there. 

• The Princess of Wales is known for her love of tennis and has been Patron of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club since 2016.
• She’s regularly attended Wimbledon but her debut this year might take a little longer than some might hope.
• This royal news comes as King Charles and Queen Camilla's failure to break this tradition show they won't “rock the boat” in the new monarchy. 

Amid building anticipation and wondering from fans about how to watch Wimbledon 2023 the championships have finally begun. From celebrities like singer and actor Idina Menzel to the late Queen Elizabeth’s cousin Prince Michael of Kent, the high-profile attendees have already been spotted. But as the Wimbledon fortnight continues plenty of other royals in particular are expected to make an appearance - including Kate Middleton. She’s not only the Patron of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club but an avid tennis player. 

The Princess of Wales’ tennis skills even impressed retired champion Roger Federer when they teamed up last month. But despite her love of the sport and regular Wimbledon appearances, Kate Middleton’s first Wimbledon 2023 appearance might be quite a while yet.

Fans will likely have to be patient as recently the future Queen Consort hasn’t made her Wimbledon debut until the mid-latter stages of the tournament. Last year, the Princess of Wales first attended on Day 9 of the 14 day championships and the year before she made her debut on Day 5. However, this year there’s even more of an indication that Kate Middleton’s first Wimbledon 2023 appearance could be later.

Not only would this follow the pattern of 2022 but the first Royal Week of King Charles’ reign began on the same day as Wimbledon. His Majesty and Queen Camilla will spend time in Scotland for the week that traditionally celebrates Scottish culture, communities and achievements. It’s already been confirmed that the Prince and Princess of Wales will also be attending various events during Royal Week. 

According to the BBC one of these events will be a procession from the Palace of Holyroodhouse to a service at St Giles’ Cathedral where King Charles will be presented with the Honors of Scotland. This will take place on Wednesday July 5 and it’s not known which other events the Princess of Wales could attend during this week, which is also the first week of Wimbledon.

Given how important Royal Week has always been to the Royal Family and her commitments surrounding it, it’s possible Kate won’t be available to attend Wimbledon until the first weekend and following week and weekend. But whilst Kate Middleton’s first Wimbledon 2023 appearance might still be a little while away, she is expected to attend at some point.

In 2022 she attended multiple times and presented the Women’s Singles trophy on Day 13 and the Men’s Singles trophy on Day 14 and it’s possible she could do so again this year. And although she hasn’t made her debut at the tournament yet in 2023, the Princess of Wales did visit the tennis club just a few weeks earlier.

She played tennis with Roger Federer as they highlighted the skill of the unsung heroes of Wimbledon - the Ball Boys and Girls.

“Wimbledon is renowned for its amazingly professional Ball Boys and Ball Girls, the amount of work it takes, it’s incredible to see it behind the scenes," she declared after the visit.