Kate Middleton Is All Smiles at Wimbledon After Not Attending Princess Diana Statue Unveiling

The Duchess of Cambridge is a royal patron of the organization that hosts the annual tennis competition.

Kate Middleton is enjoying one of her favorite pastimes -- attending Wimbledon! The 39-year-old Duchess of Cambridge is the royal patron of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club (AELTC), which hosts the annual tennis competition. 

On Friday, she was seen attending the event after last year's matches were canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic. For the outing, Middleton wore white heels, a navy blue polka-dotted skirt, a white blouse and a navy jacket. 

Though she sported a printed mask while walking through the grounds, she took it off once she was in the stands and was seen laughing and cheering on the players. 

Middleton watched the men's doubles match between British player Jamie Murray and Brazilian Bruno Soares and American Nicolas Monroe and Canadian Vasek Pospisil. 

Karwai Tang/WireImage
Karwai Tang/WireImage

The duchess was clearly excited to be back after a year off. On the official social media accounts she shares with her husband, Prince William, videos and photos of her visit were shared. 

"With the tournament having to be cancelled last year, it’s amazing to see fans and players back inside these iconic grounds. #Wimbledon," read the caption.

Kate also helped prepare some food with the AELTC staff, who has used the facility's kitchens to provide 200 hot meals per day for a year to those in need. 

While she had a blast at Wimbledon, Middleton was not in attendance on Thursday at the unveiling of the statue of her late mother-in-law, Princess Diana, in the Sunken Garden at Kensington Palace. 

William and his brother, Prince Harry, unveiled the statue together in a private ceremony that featured several members of Diana's family, the Spencers. 

"We had heard rumors and speculation that possibly the Duchess of Cambridge might have attended, but with this becoming a much more scaled-back engagement than what it was originally meant to be with around 100 guests, it felt like a fitting and suitable crowd of people," royal expert Katie Nicholl told ET of the event. "Given COVID restrictions in place... it felt right that it was William and Harry with the Spencer side of the family."  

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