A lip reader has analyzed comments by Britain’s Princess of Wales as she entered the Center Court at Wimbledon in a rare appearance since her cancer diagnosis. Kate Middleton, who is married to future UK King Prince William, began handing the Wimbledon trophy to winners some years ago, but the crowd particularly enjoyed her presence this year, her first since she announced that she is undergoing cancer treatment.
In March, the Princess of Wales said she had started chemotherapy after a cancer discovery during a routine procedure. She has remained largely out of the public eye since that time, and her appearance at Wimbledon, therefore, prompted an impromptu standing ovation from the crowd. According to lip readers, the Princess described the emotional moment as “sweet.”
In the men’s final, veteran Novak Djokovic took on young Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz but lost in three sets. The Spanish champion later spoke to Princess Kate and her daughter Princess Charlotte, who, according to reports, was starstruck by the tennis player. Lip readers say Kate told Alcaraz that her daughter had been cheering him on. “We’ve watched a lot on telly, so it’s great to finally get to meet you,” Kate told the Spaniard.
At a press conference that followed the final, 37-year-old Djokovic described receiving the runner-up trophy from the Princess for the second consecutive year, explaining that he told her how happy he was to see her looking so well. “That’s obviously very positive news for everyone in this country but also for Wimbledon,” he said.
Serbian-born Djokovic has won the Wimbledon title seven times and is considered one of the game’s greatest players. In 2021, he stirred controversy by refusing to take the coronavirus vaccine and speaking against it, leading to a ban from several major tournaments. Having missed out on events he was expected to win, the player said he had no regrets and would rather not play than take the vaccine.
