• Father Jim Sichko made a heartfelt shout-out to Kate Middleton during the Wimbledon Championships on July 13 — and shares the full story exclusively with PEOPLE
• The Roman Catholic priest from Lexington, Ky., called out “I love you, Kate!” during the trophy presentation, sparking a rare, joyful laugh from the Princess of Wales in a viral moment
• A cancer survivor himself, Sichko reflects on the powerful significance of seeing Princess Kate return to the spotlight just six months after announcing her remission

Kate Middleton left a lasting impression on one vocal spectator that went viral during the final day of the Wimbledon Championships.

On July 13, the Princess of Wales — and patron of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club — took center stage to present the trophies for the gentlemen’s singles final. Among the hushed crowd was Father Jim Sichko, a Catholic priest from Lexington, Ky., who seized the quiet moment to call out, “I love you, Kate!” His voice echoed across Centre Court, cutting through the silence.

The now-viral moment caught Princess Kate’s attention, prompting her to laugh — a rare and unguarded reaction. Fans had already given her a standing ovation earlier in the day as she took her seat at Centre Court, and her response only added to the sense of connection.

Speaking exclusively to PEOPLE, Sichko, 58, says the Princess of Wales exuded sincerity as she stepped into the spotlight on Sunday.

Kate Middleton prepares to present the gentlemen’s singles final trophy at Wimbledon on July 13, 2025. Julian Finney/Getty 

“It was very interesting. They came out, and I didn’t know Prince William was there. Then, as I was looking, I said, ‘Oh my gosh, that looks like Prince William.’ And everyone around me said, ‘Yes, they’re here as a family,’ ” Sichko says about first seeing the Prince and Princess of Wales at Wimbledon.

The Prince and Princess of Wales had brought along their two eldest children, Prince George, 11, and Princess Charlotte, 10, for a surprise appearance at Wimbledon. (Their youngest, Prince Louis, 7, didn’t attend — but his siblings brought him home a souvenir!)

“They were there until the end. Then she came out and greeted all the children and took time with them. Let me tell you, you can tell if someone is authentic and she is authentic,” he says. “What you see is what you get. You can’t make up those types of emotions and conversations and exchanges.”

The Princess of Wales, 43, had stepped down from the Royal Box to Centre Court to present the trophies to winner Jannik Sinner and runner-up Carlos Alcaraz when Sichko called out to her in a spontaneous show of affection.

Fr. Jim Sichko at Wimbledon on July 13, 2025. Julie Deverges

“She stepped out and then there was just this moment of silence, and I screamed out, ‘I love you, Kate!’ I didn’t know if anyone heard. I did not even realize that she made any type of response to it,” he says. “Then I was worried, because I didn’t hear anything afterwards, and I was like, ‘Oh my goodness, did anyone hear that? Did it fall on deaf ears?’ And then I posted on social media and said to the people who follow me, ‘I just want you to know if you were watching — I did this and I want to apologize if it did not sound appropriate, but I was just caught up in the moment.’ “

Sichko — a priest from the Roman Catholic Diocese of Lexington and a Missionary of Mercy for Pope Leo XIV — has a large following on social media and only learned about Princess Kate’s animated reaction to his spontaneous shout-out later that night. A cancer survivor who has faced both kidney and prostate cancer, he says the joyful moment was one he’ll never forget.

Kate Middleton attends the awards ceremony following the gentlemen’s singles final at Wimbledon on July 13, 2025. Thomas Schreyer/VCG via Getty

“Someone sent me the PEOPLE story and that’s when I saw the response. I started Googling and people were showing how she was so excited and thrilled and smiled and laughed. It was very moving for me because again, it happened so quickly. I didn’t see her reaction because I just freaked out and time didn’t stop, it just kept going,” he says.

The preacher, evangelist and motivational speaker attended the final day of the 2025 Wimbledon Championships with a group that included his sister and four couples. The outing was organized as an auction item with proceeds benefitting Sichko’s childhood grade school in Orange, Texas, and his papal missionary, which works to spread random acts of kindness around the world.

After he made the declaration to Kate, Sichko says that the fellow spectators in the stands applauded and cheered — a lighthearted response that matched the genuine emotion behind his words.

“There was laughter. It was a moment of true spontaneity. There was joy in the air,” he says.

“There was much excitement in her being present as well as with the two winners. I consider both of those men winners because they both did exceptionally in their role and in their athletic ability,” he adds about Sinner and Alcaraz.

Jannik Sinner accepts the gentlemen’s singles trophy from Kate Middleton at Wimbledon on July 13, 2025. Clive Brunskill/Getty

Sichko specifies that while he is not necessarily a follower of the tennis world or the royal family, he has great respect for Princess Kate, in part, because they have both navigated cancer. The Princess of Wales’ July 13 appearance at Wimbledon was her second of the Grand Slam tournament this year and fell six months after she shared that she was in remission from a cancer diagnosis she announced in March 2024. 

Of his own experience, Sichko says, “I’m in the spotlight in some aspects, but in a much lower form, because I speak constantly. I travel 300 days a year, and so, to know that you have to put on that face, you have people watching you. There’s a sense of you have to step up.”

“She could have not paid my shout-out any attention. She could have totally ignored it. She could have even looked in a way of, ‘What are you doing? It must be an American.’ There was none of that. It was just in fact, the exact opposite, and it proved what my intuition told me, that she has a heart, that she cares that she is in this role and that it’s something that she lives and exudes.”

Kate Middleton at Wimbledon on July 13, 2025. Thomas Schreyer/VCG via Getty

The priest says that Princess Kate’s transparency about her own cancer journey and return to public duties resounds because she chose to share her story.

“It resonates because she could have kept all of that quiet. She could have decided that this is not something we’re going to share, but by her sharing her own journey and her treatment, and by her willingness to be present, she is doing a lot to heal not only herself, but others, mentally, spiritually, and figuratively,” Sichko says. “She is sending a message that everyone is vulnerable, and through that vulnerability, you embrace it, you persevere, and you do what you got to do, and that provides strength and hope for people.”

“As a Catholic priest, as a Missionary of Mercy for Pope Leo, we’re in a Jubilee year of this year called the Year of Hope, and she exhibits that, and that’s through her illness and through her ability to get out, when probably, at times, it’s very tiring and stressful and exhausting,” he adds.

As a cancer survivor, Sichko knows the toll such a diagnosis can take. 

“I also understand the exhaustion that comes from treatment or surgery. I understand the sense of not necessarily wanting to be out, but knowing that there is work to be done,” he tells PEOPLE. “You have to keep going.” 

Fr. Jim Sichko (third from right) at Wimbledon on July 13, 2025. Courtesy of Fr. Jim Sichko

On seeing Princess Kate in person, Sichko says that the Princess of Wales emanated “such class, such kindness,” and radiated graciousness when it was time to present the prizes at Wimbledon.

“She was very composed, very professional. You could tell she was very much at home. She looked very well. She was on spot. I loved how she greeted all the children,” he says about the royal nicknamed the “Children’s Princess,” referring to her interactions with the Ball Boys and Ball Girls.

Sichko says he felt compelled to share his story now so that others could learn the deeper meaning of the moment he says he will always cherish. 

Kate Middleton at Wimbledon on July 13, 2025. Karwai Tang/WireImage

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“It was amazing because all these stories started popping up of this exchange, and I was like, ‘That was me.’ It wasn’t someone who just had too many Pimm’s at a game and was just randomly screaming out,” he says in a wink to Wimbledon’s signature drink. 

“There was a sense of such respect and an honor at this woman, at this individual, who happens to be a princess and who happens to really exhibit what I believe the world needs in a time of great despair. Our world is in a real difficult place right now, and I believe that she exhibits hope and love and radiance, and that’s what we need in the world.”