Lip reader reveals Kate Middleton’s two poignant words to friend after royal return
Princess Kate made a touching remark after receiving a standing ovation at Wimbledon 2024. The royal surprised onlookers by attending the men's final with Princess Charlotte
The Princess of Wales seemed overwhelmed as she made her way to the royal box for the mens’ singles final at Wimbledon in July 2024. Kate was joined by Princess Charlotte and Pippa Middleton for the poignant outing. She was greeted with huge cheers and a standing ovation from the thousands of spectators in the crowd as she made her way to her seat.
It was a heartwarming moment. It was only the second public outing of 2024 for Kate, following the news of her cancer diagnosis in March. Weeks earlier, in June, she had stepped out for the first time to attend King Charles’s birthday parade, Trooping the Colour, along with her family.
Rather than take her seat straight away, beaming Kate stood and took in the applause as she waved to her wellwishers. Acknowledging the extraordinary reception, she then turned to Deborah Jevans – former tennis pro and chair of the All England Club – and remarked, “So sweet!” according to lip reader Jeremy Freeman
Karwai Tang, one of the photographers who caught Kate and Charlotte’s arrival on camera, later talked to People about the special moment. “When [Kate] usually comes in, she walks down the steps and into her seat. She doesn’t normally stand and wave. But she stood for a while and took it all in. For her to acknowledge it and take in the applause was special,” Tang explained.
“She seemed to look no different from the last Wimbledon. It felt like she is back. … For them to cheer and clap when they came in was a great support for her. Wimbledon had been waiting with bated breath for her to return, and she was back.” It’s no secret that Wimbldeon is one of Kate’s favourite annual events. Speaking about her appearance at the 2023 tournament, body language expert Darren Stanton noted that Kate “just wants to fit in and is truly happy” when she’s watching the court action.
“In terms of body language and facial gestures, Kate displayed genuine joy, which is apparent as her whole face is engaged,” Darren said. “It’s fairly obvious when somebody is uncomfortable in a situation as their face isn’t engaged. In every shot I’ve seen of Kate, she appears to be lapping up the atmosphere and clearly loves being at Wimbledon.”
