Princess of Wales told ‘don’t be nervous’ before Wimbledon standing ovation

The Princess of Wales was told “don’t be nervous” before receiving a standing ovation at Wimbledon.

The Princess, 43, was also urged to “take deep breaths” by eight-year-old Lydia Lowe ahead of her appearance at the women’s singles final.

She was later met with a standing ovation as she entered the Royal Box, the second year in a row she received such a greeting.

The Princess wore a custom Self-Portrait outfit with an Anya Hindmarch bag.

Her arrival at SW19 last year marked her second public appearance since announcing her cancer diagnosis.

Lydia was at Wimbledon representing the Dan Maskell Trust and was responsible for the coin toss for the wheelchair final.

During a touching exchange, the Princess asked the child, who overcame a brain injury last January and had to learn how to walk again, what it meant to her to perform the coin toss.

She asked if the girl had a favourite tennis player and whether she was feeling nervous.

When the Princess asked if she had any advice for her ahead of her own appearance, the child replied: “Don’t be nervous [and] take deep breaths.”

The Princess responded: “Take deep breaths, okay, I’ll remember that. Thank you.”

The Princess, seen here with Debbie Jevans, the chairman of AELTC, made a surprise appearance at Wimbledon for the women’s singles final - Jordan Pettitt/PA

Catherine wore a £440 self-portrait cream bouclé bow detail midi dress, which featured a high-collared belted top and flowing pleated skirt and carried a £950 Anya Hindmarch tote bag.

She also wore a green and purple bow – the colours traditionally associated with Wimbledon – to mark her role as patron of The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club (AELTC).

She sat next to former No.1 player Billie Jean King in the Royal Box, with the pair seen in conversation throughout the match between Amanda Anisimova and Iga Swiatek, which the latter won in straight 6-0, 6-0 sets.

The Princess met Wang Ziying, the women’s wheelchair tennis champion, who won her final in straight sets, and Ralp Yin, her coach.

She also met Shaniah Williams and Jefferson Iweh, who are Work at Wimbledon representatives.

The Princess meets Ziying Wang, the women’s singles wheelchair champion, and her coach Ralph Yin - Jordan Pettitt - WPA Pool/Getty Images

The Princess spoke with Wimbledon’s longest-serving steward, Bob Flint, who has worked the Championships each year since 1980. She later waved to cheering crowds as she crossed a bridge over the grounds.

Her appearance at the final comes as she continues to find the right balance as she fully returns to public-facing engagements after her treatment last year.

She retreated from public life as she underwent a course of “preventative chemotherapy”, making only occasional public appearances over the following months.

More recently, she has gradually been increasing her workload but has made clear that her focus will remain firmly on her long-term recovery.

The Princess sits with Billie Jean King in the royal box - TOLGA AKMEN/EPA/Shutterstock

In recent weeks, she has made public appearances at Garter Day in Windsor and Trooping the Colour, as well as a handful of other solo engagements.

But she pulled out of a planned trip to Royal Ascot last month at the last minute after she had been expected to make a return to the racing spectacle following her absence the previous year.

She was said to be disappointed not to attend alongside her husband, the Prince of Wales, but continues to take each occasion as it comes.

Other guests at Wimbledon’s royal box on Saturday included Kemi Badenoch, the Tory party leader, and Gordon Ramsay, the celebrity chef.

Last year, the Princess attended Carlos Alcaraz’s winning match against seven-time champion Novak Djokovic. She brought Princess Charlotte with her and was left emotional after receiving a standing ovation.

The Princess later awarded Alcaraz the trophy before a photograph posted on Wimbledon’s X account showed Charlotte shaking the hand of the champion as he held the prize.

The Waleses are keen tennis players and previously revealed that they are unable to finish a match because of their competitiveness.

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