The man who shouted ‘I love you, Kate!’ to the Princess of Wales on the day of the Wimbledon final has said the beloved royal is clearly ‘authentic’ and exudes ‘class’ and ‘kindness’.
On July 13, Princess Kate, 43, in her role as patron of the all England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, appeared on Centre Court to present the trophies for the men’s singles final.
During a spell of quiet, Father Jim Sichko, a Catholic priest from Lexington, Kentucky, US, took the opportunity to express his admiration for the royal when he cried out: ‘I love you, Kate!’
The mother-of-three burst out laughing, clearly taken aback by the unexpected outburst – but Father Sichko didn’t notice Kate’s heartwarming reaction until he saw the now-viral footage of the event.
Royal fans had already given the Princess a standing ovation when she first appeared earlier that day as a spectator, but her reaction delighted the crowds anew.
Father Sichko, who admitted he had ‘too much Pimm’s’, told People: ‘Let me tell you, you can tell if someone is authentic and she is authentic.
‘What you see is what you get. You can’t make up those types of emotions and conversations and exchanges.’
The priest added that Kate radiated ‘such class, such kindness’ when the time came to present the prizes to the winners.
After Father Jim Sichko shouted ‘I love you, Kate!’ the royal was caught bursting out laughing
The 58-year-old said that when Kate emerged with husband William by her side, he was pleasantly surprised, before other audience members informed him they were watching as a family.
Kate brought her two eldest children George, 11, and Charlotte, ten, to watch the final at SW19 from the Royal Box, alongside their father Prince William, 43.
Louis, who is only seven, was notably absent, but his parents made sure not to leave him out and asked the men’s champion Jannik Sinner to sign an extra tennis ball for the youngster so he wouldn’t get ‘upset’.
Father Sichko noted how Kate stayed ‘until the end’ of the day, and took her time to greet and speak to all the children on the court.
When Kate stepped out to present trophies to winner Jannik Sinner and runner-up Carlos Alcaraz, there was a moment of silence – before Sichko called out.
At the time, he didn’t know if anyone had heard him, and was not even aware that the royal had reacted.
‘Then I was worried, because I didn’t hear anything afterwards,’ Sichko added, ‘and I was like, “Oh my goodness, did anyone hear that? Did it fall on deaf ears?”‘
Sichko, a priest from the Roman Catholic Diocese of Lexington and a Missionary of Mercy for Pope Leo XIV – then posted to his large social media following to apologise if it was ‘inappropriate’, saying he had been caught in the moment.
Heartwarming footage of Kate erupting into laughter was caught on camera, as the royal delighted fans with her response
Father Jim Sichko (pictured), 58, didn’t notice Kate’s heartwarming reaction until he saw the now-viral footage of the event
A cancer survivor of both kidney and prostate cancer, Sichko expressed his great respect for the Princess who attended the sporting event just six months after she shared she was in remission from cancer.
He noted that Kate could have easily ignored him, or even been disdainful, but her reaction was the opposite, and proved what Sichko’s ‘intuition’ told him about the Princess’s ‘heart’ and love for her role.
The priest made note of the royal’s professionalism and calm demeanour, despite the very public nature of the role, adding that she seemed truly comfortable when conversing with the ball boys and girls.
He praised the air of awe and admiration by the crowds directed at Kate, who he feels emanates a much-needed sense of hope in a time of global despair.
But Sichko only found out about Kate’s joyous response when friends and social media followers began sending him headlines from the event.
Of Kate’s transparency about her cancer journey, Sichko spoke highly, adding that her story resonates with others because she is open – sending the message that everyone is vulnerable and can be affected.
The priest also understands how tiring cancer treatment or surgery can be, he said, adding that he relates to the sense that work must be done, even if you do not feel like doing it.
