There are public figures who mention their physical achievements and there are public figures who climb the three highest mountains in Britain alone over a weekend and then show up at Wimbledon in a blue linen suit two days later to hand grounds passes to people who queued overnight, and Kate is the second kind.
The Princess of Wales made her first appearance at this year’s Wimbledon Championships today, per GB News, published at 11:16 this morning. She wore a sophisticated blue linen suit, a white top, a ponytail, and drop earrings with oval royal-blue gemstones, styling choices described by GB News as making her departure for the event from Kensington Palace. She spent time at The Queue, the famous line of fans who camp outside the grounds hoping for day tickets, greeting members of the public, posing for photographs, warmly embracing fans, and distributing grounds passes, which she did after having climbed Snowdon, Scafell Pike, and Ben Nevis alone over the preceding weekend, with Mountain Rescue support and her family waiting at Snowdon’s base. GB News notes this as context. Kate did not apparently bring it up at The Queue.
Catherine has served as royal patron of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club since 2016, a role she has performed annually without missing a year except in 2013 during her pregnancy with George and in 2020 when the pandemic cancelled the Championships entirely. Her most recent prior appearance was last year’s men’s final, where she presented Jannik Sinner with the trophy after his four-set victory. She returned today, per GB News, accompanied by former British tennis star Tim Henman and AELTC chair Deborah Jevans, and watched play on one of the outer courts.
She climbed three mountains last weekend. She was at Wimbledon today. She has three children, a cancer that she has discussed publicly, a husband who is heir to the throne, and a schedule that includes the three highest peaks in Britain and the Wimbledon Queue in the same seven days. She handed grounds passes to people who had slept outside.
The people who queued overnight for Wimbledon access were delighted to receive their passes. Whether any of them mentioned the peaks to Kate is not reported.
When the Princess of Wales climbs three mountains alone over a weekend and distributes Wimbledon passes to overnight campers two days later without apparently bringing up the mountains, what exactly is the baseline?
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