This week, Kate Middleton is enjoying the privileges of royalty. The avid tennis fan even attended the Wimbledon Tennis Championships with Prince William several times during the tournament, watching the women's and men's finals from the luxurious Royals' Box. On Sunday, he took Prince George, himself a tennis player, to watch the final between Novak Djokovic and Nick Kyrgios.

But Kate is more than just a spectator at British tennis events. With the title of patron of the All England Club, Kate is responsible for handing out trophies to the winners at the end of the tournament. And it was on just such occasions that Kate is rumored to have broken the royal protocol "in a big way."

According to Express UK, in 2019, after Djokovic defeated Roger Federer in the Wimbledon men's final, Kate congratulated the winner and then put her arm around Federer and lovingly comforted him, saying his play was "incredible."

There. The part where he gently touches Federer's arm. This was a major departure from royal protocol. Was it scandalous?

Let's break it down: normally, royals keep a low profile at tennis matches, but Kate, as well as Prince William and Prince Harry, rarely do so when cheering on their favorite teams. (Prince William was even spotted cursing about the Wimbledon match earlier this week, a major taboo for the future heir to the kingdom.)

The royal family has been known to be very vocal about their support for their favorite team.

Thus, Kate's friendly gestures toward Fed, including putting her hand on his shoulder, were seen as a departure from her typical modesty.

Of course, Federer has a long history with the royal family, although some consider him the greatest male tennis player of all time. Prince William and Prince Kate once cheered him on during their match in the 2017 Wimbledon final, and Federer has given Prince George private tennis lessons.

The point here is that royal protocol is pretty crappy, and I think we can all forgive Kate's transgression this time around.