The Princess of Wales told Wimbledon runner-up Amanda Anisimova to keep her “head high” after she suffered a heavy defeat in the women’s singles final.
Kate, who is patron of the All England Lawn Tennis Club, waved as she received a standing ovation after arriving on Centre Court on Saturday.
The princess presented the trophy to Polish player Iga Swiatek, who won the title for the first time by beating Anisimova 6-0 6-0 in the final – which lasted only 57 minutes.
Kate consoled Anisimova, who was in tears after the defeat, as the American collected her runner’s up prize.
Speaking after the match about meeting Kate, Anisimova said: “It was such an honour to meet her.
“I wasn’t sure if she was going to come out today, if she was going to be there, so it’s just really nice to see her.
“She definitely had a few things to say that were making me emotional again.
“She was really kind and she told me to keep my head high.”
Anisimova added: “I guess it was a positive of today, and I can try and focus on that and not the match.”
Swiatek said receiving the trophy from Kate was “surreal”, adding that the princess told her “some nice stuff about the performance” on Centre Court.
Speaking after the match, the Wimbledon champion added: “Since I was a kid, I’m a big fan of the royal family, so it was amazing and I really appreciated that.
“And I’m really grateful that it was her royal highness giving the trophy.”
The princess also spoke to ball boys and girls as she came onto court for the presentation.
Ahead of the final, the princess – wearing a white belted jacket and pleated skirt – met eight-year-old Lydia Lowe, who performed the coin toss at the women’s wheelchair final.
After shaking her hand, the princess asked the eight-year-old whether she was “nervous” about the coin toss, adding: “Have you got any advice for me? Because I’ve got to go out.”
Lydia, who suffered a brain injury in January 2024, leaving her visually impaired and having to relearn to walk, talk and eat, replied: “Don’t be nervous. Take deep breaths.”
Kate told Lydia that she was a “pro” and asked her “what does it mean to you to come and do this?”, with the eight-year-old replying: “It means loads to me.”
The princess added that she wanted to say “well done” and celebrate Lydia’s “bravery”.
Lydia performed the coin toss while representing the Dan Maskell Tennis Trust, a charity supporting people with disabilities who play tennis by providing them with specialist equipment and grants.
Kate also met Sophie Kneen, 12, who was selected to perform the coin toss at the women’s singles final, representing the AFC Wimbledon Foundation.
Speaking after meeting the future queen, Sophie told the PA news agency: “It was so, so good, and I’m really honoured to be able to meet her.
“She asked me a bit about the charity I’m with and I said how they try and encourage young girls to play sports.”
Accompanied by All England Club chairwoman Deborah Jevans, Kate also congratulated women’s wheelchair singles champion Wang Ziying and asked her whether the final was a “good game”.
The princess said to the Chinese player: “It’s very hot playing in this weather, isn’t it?
“It must be nice to celebrate at Wimbledon.”
Kate, who donned a bow-shaped brooch in the Wimbledon colours of purple and green, also spoke with Jefferson Iweh, a ticket sales operator; Bob Flint, an honorary steward; and Wimbledon foundation host Shaniah Williams.
The princess told Mr Flint, 75, who first worked at the championships in 1980: “Well done for all the years of commitment and dedication.”
Asked about meeting the princess, Ms Williams, 23, said: “It was an absolute privilege to actually meet and have a conversation with her. She’s so beautiful.
“It was really nice to catch up with her and tell her a bit about my role.”
Last year, the princess presented the Wimbledon men’s final trophy to Carlos Alcaraz in her second public engagement since she announced her cancer diagnosis.
The Princess of Wales’s parents, Carole and Michael Middleton, were seen in the Royal Box on Monday, with the Duchess of Edinburgh and the Duchess of Gloucester also in attendance.
The Queen told tennis star Novak Djokovic that she was keeping her “fingers crossed” as she visited Wimbledon on Wednesday.
The Princess Royal’s son Peter Phillips attended the championships on Wednesday, with Hugh Grant and former prime minister Sir John Major also in the Royal Box.
Olympic champion Sir Mo Farah, former footballer Ian Wright and Welsh singer Katherine Jenkins were among the notable names to attend a hot day at Wimbledon on Saturday.
Temperatures fell short of a record for a women’s singles final day, with 31.2C having been recorded on the day of the 1976 final between Chris Evert and Evonne Goolagong Cawley.
Met Office meteorologist Greg Dewhurst said: “There will be blue skies at Wimbledon throughout the day, so it will feel hot, with very high UV levels and a light wind.
“There might be a little bit more cloud around tomorrow, making it a degree lower.”
The men’s singles semi-final on Friday between Carlos Alcaraz and Taylor Fritz was stopped twice in less than five minutes because of crowd emergencies, amid temperatures of 32C on Centre Court.
Three fans also needed attention on Centre Court on Thursday in similarly hot conditions.
The men’s singles final on Sunday, with highs of 29C predicted, is unlikely to break the record of the warmest closing day on record of 34.1C recorded on July 3 1976.
The extreme heat during the 1976 tournament prompted organisers to allow umpires to remove their jackets.
Wimbledon has said the heat rule will apply for all singles events for players, which allows for a 10-minute break when the wet bulb globe temperature (WBGT) is at or above 30.1C.
The rule will apply after the second set for all best-of-three-set matches, and after the third set for all best-of-five-set matches.
Players may leave the court during the break, but they may not receive coaching or medical treatment.
