Kate Middleton: Will she make an appearance at Wimbledon this year?

Kate fans are hoping they will spy the Duchess of Cambridge at Wimbledon before the tennis championship ends next week.

Kate is currently on maternity leave after giving birth to Prince Louis on 23 April.

After having Princess Charlotte in May 2015, the Duchess’s maternity leave lasted six months and it is expected to be the same length of time for her third child.

While she will not attend official engagements until autumn, Kate will still be seen at other royal events.

Royal fans are hoping she will join Meghan Markle, 36, in a “Cambridge-Sussex double date” by attending Wimbledon.

Some fans have declared themselves on “Kate watch”, including blogger Royal Suitor, who wrote on Twitter: “With Federer and Serena playing back-to-back I think we may get a Kate-Meghan outing to see the last two matches.

“Or a possible full Cambridge-Sussex date double date. Harry’s not a tennis guy but they did come to his polo.”

Another fan said they hope they royal pair “will make a day out of it” and “give us some fabulous photos”.

Since becoming a royal, the Duchess of Cambridge – who is a patron of The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club – has made an appearance at Wimbledon almost every year.

The mother-of-three also has a tennis court built at her Amner Hall home.

On Wednesday, her parents, Carole and Michael Middleton, were spotted in Wimbledon’s Royal box, and her pregnant sister Pippa is also expected to attend.

Since giving birth to Prince Louis, Kate has only attended a select few public events and was last seen in June watching Prince William play at the polo.

Last year Kate attended day one of the tennis in a white and black print dress, which featured a three quarter length sleeve.

The dress also boasted a square neckline and came down to just about the Duchess’ knees. She paired the dress with a structured white bag and low heeled open toe strappy sandals.

Ahead of any games starting, the Duchess met with servicemen and women at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon, south London.

The Duchess of Cambridge and her husband Prince William are now patrons of the lawn tennis club and the couple are often guests of honour at the bigger centre court matches, such as the Men’s Singles final.

Last week Serena Williams called Kate her “number one bad a** woman.” It came after the she was asked by InStyle to name who she thought of as “bad a**.”

The tennis star said: “Well, obviously Beyoncé. That goes unsaid. Rihanna goes unsaid. Kate Middleton!”

She went to describe the moment the Duchess of Cambridge appeared on the steps of the Lindo Wing after the birth of her youngest son, Prince Louis, in April.

Ms Williams said: “She was standing. So she’s officially No. 1.”

Tennis champion Roger Federer also received an invite to Prince Harry and William’s royal weddings.