Kate Middleton accused of breaking major royal protocol during Wimbledon appearance

The Princess of Wales drew public attention on Sunday (13 July) at Centre Court during the Wimbledon Men’s Singles Final, where she presented awards to Italy’s Jannik Sinner and Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz.

Dressed elegantly in blue, Kate attended the match with Prince William and their children, Prince George and Princess Charlotte. The day before, she had also awarded trophies at the Women’s Singles Final.

As she arrived to a standing ovation, many fans expressed excitement at seeing her in public again. However, some criticized her for walking ahead of Prince William and guiding their children to their seats.

Several online commenters claimed this move broke royal protocol, pointing out that Meghan Markle had previously faced backlash for similar behavior. One person argued, “Kate walking in front of William is fine, but Meghan would’ve been slammed for it.”

Another commenter emphasized the perceived double standard, saying Kate had often walked ahead of William without issue, while Meghan had been unfairly judged.

Supporters defended the Princess, noting she is the official patron of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, a title given to her by Queen Elizabeth II in 2016. As such, her leading role at the event may have been appropriate.

This was Kate’s second public appearance at Wimbledon since revealing her cancer diagnosis in March last year. While now in remission, she recently admitted that post-treatment recovery has been challenging, calling the phase after treatment “really, really difficult.”