The Princess of Wales was given a small piece of advice before she arrived at Wimbledon. Princess Kate attended the tennis tournament today, receiving a standing ovation as she entered the royal box.
Before taking her seat, she met eight-year-old Lydia Lowe, who overcame a brain injury last January and had to learn to walk again. Lydia was attending as a representative of the Dan Maskell Trust and was responsible for the coin toss for the wheelchair final. The princess asked what it meant to Lydia to do the coin toss, if she had a favourite tennis player and if she was nervous.
When Kate asked if Lydia had any advice for her second public appearance, the eight-year-old gave a three-word response: “Don’t be nervous.” She then added: “Take deep breaths.”
The princess, who wore a cream Self-Portrait dress with a green and purple bow, responded: “Take deep breaths, okay, I’ll remember that. Thank you.”
As patron of The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club (AELTC), Kate sat next to former No.1 player Billie Jean King in the Royal Box.
She also met Wang Ziying, the women’s wheelchair tennis champion, and Bob Flint, Wimbledon’s longest-serving steward who has worked the tournament since 1980.
Kate received a standing ovation last year, when she attended Wimbledon in her second public appearance since her cancer diagnosis. Since last summer, Princess Kate has been increasing her workload but made clear that her focus remains on her long-term recovery.
In recent weeks, she has made public appearances at Garter Day in Windsor and Trooping the Colour, as well as other solo engagements. In June, she pulled out of a visit to Royal Ascot.