Plan in place in case Princess of Wales misses Wimbledon finals
By Jo Abi|
A plan is in place should Catherine, the Princess of Wales be unable to attend the Wimbledon finals.
As patron of the All England Club for eight years, the royal has presented the trophies at the tennis tournament finals since 2016.
However it isn't known if she will be well enough to attend this year's tournament as she continues preventative outpatient cancer treatment following "planned abdominal surgery" in January.
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If this is the case, the Duchess of Gloucester may stand in for her.
All England Club Chair Debbie Jevans told Telegraph UK it is still hoped the princess will be well enough to attend and she will be given "as much flexibility as possible."
This includes leaving the decision until the morning of the women's final on Saturday.
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"We're hopeful that the Princess of Wales will be able to present the trophies as the Club's patron, but her health and recovery is the priority," Jevans told the publication two weeks ago.
"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.
"I don't know who would present the trophies as an alternative – that's something to consider nearer the time if necessary.
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"We're staying flexible. When we hear we'll then think about what's the right thing to do."
The Princess of Wales attended Trooping the Colour, the annual celebration of the monarch's birthday, on June 15, leaving royal fans hopeful of her continuing recovery and return to royal duties.
Kensington Palace is not confirming any potential engagements for the the royal.
This wouldn't be the first time the Duchess of Gloucester has stood in for Catherine, having stood beside the Prince of Wales as he hosted the Sovereign's Garden Party on May 21 alongside her husband Prince Richard, the Duke of Gloucester.
The Duke of Gloucester is the late Queen Elizabeth's cousin and he and his wife are full-time working members of the British royal family.
She has previously attended Wimbledon as far back as 2006 when she posed for a photo in the royal box with tennis greats including former Wimbledon Champions, Martina Navratilova, Billie Jean King, Steffi Graf, Margaret Court and Maria Bueno.
She is said to be a huge tennis fan.
At the time of the Wimbledon finals Prince William will likely be in Berlin for the final of Euro 2024.
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