Kate Middleton's Parents Attend Wimbledon Amid Her Cancer Treatment

Kate Middleton's parents, Carole Middleton and Michael Middleton, made a fashionable appearance on Thursday at London's renowned Wimbledon tennis tournament, taking their seats in the prestigious royal box on Center Court inside the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club.  

Carole embraced the tournament's summery dress code, wearing a colorful dress adorned with puffed sleeves and a ruffled neckline. To complete her chic ensemble, the 69-year-old added a white blazer with retro puffed sleeves, a pair of colorful orange sunglasses, brown suede heels, and a trendy basket-weave bag. As for Michael, he looked dapper in a blue jacket, tie and sunglasses. 

Not in attendance was the Princess of Wales as she is currently undergoing cancer treatment and has scaled back her royal duties and public events.

Kate made her first public appearance of 2024 at the annual Trooping of the Colour ceremony last month. In a subsequent Instagram statement, she informed her followers that her outings would be limited in the coming months. "[I] hope to join a few public engagements over the summer, but equally knowing I am not out of the woods yet," she wrote.

There remains a possibility that Kate might show up to Wimbledon as she is a big tennis fan. However, Debbie Jevans, chair of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, expressed cautious optimism about the princess' potential attendance.

"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 Telegraph Sport on Thursday. "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."

Traditionally, Kate has been a devoted supporter of Wimbledon, presenting the trophies and showcasing numerous chic, tennis-inspired outfits. Last year, she captivated attendees with a chic emerald-green dress by Roland Mouret.

And in June 2023, Kate released a video of herself and Roger Federer during a visit to the Wimbledon Ball Boys & Girls training facility. 

In years past, Kate has often been spotted in the royal box during Wimbledon, at times alongside her husband, Prince William. In 2022, William and Kate surprised royal watchers as they were joined by Prince George when he made his debut at the annual tournament. 

Since attending a Christmas church service with other members of the royal family last year, the mom of three underwent abdominal surgery for a non-disclosed reason in January and remained hospitalized for nearly two weeks. At the time, Kensington Palace said it was "unlikely" for Kate "to return to public duties until after Easter."

Following speculation and conspiracies about her whereabouts as she remained largely out of the public eye save for a few sightings, the future queen reemerged on March 22 in a video message, sharing that she had been diagnosed with cancer. 

While the 42-year-old royal did not disclose what type of cancer she has, she said at the time that she was undergoing "preventative" chemotherapy.

Kate later disclosed in June that she will be undergoing treatment for "a few more months but would be attending the Trooping of the Colour.

"I am making good progress, but as anyone going through chemotherapy will know, there are good days and bad days," she shared in her message posted to social media on June 14. "On those bad days you feel weak, tired and you have to give in to your body resting. But on the good days, when you feel stronger, you want to make the most of feeling well."

Continued Kate, "My treatment is ongoing and will be for a few more months. On the days I feel well enough, it is a joy to engage with school life, spend personal time on the things that give me energy and positivity, as well as starting to do a little work from home. I'm looking forward to attending The King's Birthday Parade this weekend with my family and hope to join a few public engagements over the summer, but equally knowing I am not out of the woods yet."

"I am learning how to be patient, especially with uncertainty. Taking each day as it comes, listening to my body, and allowing myself to take this much needed time to heal," the mother of three concluded her statement. "Thank you so much for your continued understanding, and to all of you who have so bravely shared your stories with me."

A new photo of the princess -- taken in June by royal family photographer Matt Porteous, per Kensington Palace -- was also shared, showing her standing with her arms crossed in front of the trunk of a tree as she looked upward.

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