Kate praises ‘brave' boy with cancer as royals visit Wimbledon

South Wales Guardian

13-07-2025

The royals visited the tennis tournament to watch defending champion Carlos Alcaraz take on world number one Jannik Sinner in the men's singles final on Sunday, with Kate set to present the trophy to the winner.
They were sat near King Felipe VI of Spain, who attended the match in support of Spaniard Alcaraz.
Before entering Centre Court, the family met 11-year-old Ambrose Caldecott, who has undergone chemotherapy over the last year and was chosen to perform the ceremonial coin toss before the final.
Ambrose, who was diagnosed with bone cancer in March 2024, told Kate about his experiences, to which she replied: 'What a brave boy you've been.
'Good luck today, we'll be cheering you on.'
The princess, who was diagnosed with cancer in 2024, confirmed she was free from the disease at the start of this year.
Speaking about his conversation with Kate, Ambrose told the PA news agency: 'We spoke about tennis, our favourite sports, what I went through last year and how it affected me.'
The 11-year-old added: 'She said she knew from her experience in my situation.'
Ambrose was chosen to perform the coin toss to represent The Junction Elite Project, a Wandsworth-based charity that provides developmental sporting experiences to young people.
Kate attended the championships in a striking royal blue dress, with William wearing a double-breasted blazer.
George looked sharp in a black suit, and Charlotte wore a beige summer dress.
The royals also met British pair Julian Cash and Lloyd Glasspool who made Wimbledon history on Saturday by winning the men's doubles title.
The duo are the first all-British pairing to win the title since Pat Hughes and Raymond Tuckey lifted the trophy in 1936.
Cash, 28, told the PA news agency: 'It was an absolute pleasure to meet them today.
'They're all fans of the tennis so it was really nice to meet them.'
Asked about his conversation with the royals, Cash said: 'They asked about the final yesterday, how it felt to win at home and make history.
'They were asking about the heat as well, and a little bit about my celebrations.'
Discussing his celebrations, Cash said: 'My head was a little bit sore this morning but it was a fantastic day. I loved having family and friends here.
'We play so many weeks on the road, so to have them here, to lift that trophy with them is really special.'
The royals also met ball girl Sienna, 18, from Wimbledon High, and ball boy, Dennis from Wilson's School.
Dennis, 17, said it was a 'really unique experience' to meet the royals.
Discussing the conversation, he added: 'They mainly asked us about training, how long it takes, how hard it is, and they told us to stay hydrated.'
The royals also met television presenter Steve Backshall, who is a Wimbledon Ambassador and disability sports coach Temi Johnson, 28.
Kate, who is patron of the All England Lawn Tennis Club, received a standing ovation when she arrived on Centre Court on Saturday to watch the women's singles final.
The princess told runner-up Amanda Anisimova to keep her 'head high' after the American suffered a heavy defeat in Saturday's final.
Kate consoled Anisimova, who was in tears, as she presented her runner-up prize.
The princess then presented the trophy to Polish player Iga Swiatek, who won the title for the first time by beating Anisimova 6-0 6-0 in a final which lasted only 57 minutes.
Swiatek said receiving the trophy from the princess was 'surreal', adding that Kate told her 'some nice stuff about the performance' on Centre Court.
Last year, Kate presented the Wimbledon men's final trophy to Alcaraz in her second public engagement since she announced her cancer diagnosis.
The Princess of Wales's parents, Carole and Michael Middleton, were seen in the royal box on Monday, with the Duchess of Edinburgh and the Duchess of Gloucester also in attendance.