Prince George (12) watched the Wimbledon men's final in a suit and tie, right in the middle of a heat wave in the United Kingdom. To cool down, the eldest son of Princess Kate (44) and Prince William (44) resorted to water, a straw hat, and a hand fan in the stands.
On Sunday (July 12), the family took their seats in the front row of the Royal Box at Centre Court. The program featured the final match between Jannik Sinner (24) and Alexander Zverev (29). Sitting next to George were his sister Princess Charlotte (11) and their parents. Kate is patron of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club and traditionally sits in this seat at the finals.
Despite sunshine and temperatures around 86 degrees Fahrenheit, George and William stuck with their suits and ties. At times, all four family members wore sunglasses and sun hats.
Strict Dress Code in the Royal Box
The reason George dressed so formally has to do with his seat location. The Royal Box is an exclusive area with 74 seats in the Centre Court stands. Invitations there are sent personally by the chairman of the All England Club.
Those who sit here are bound by a dress code. The Wimbledon website states: "Protocol - dress is smart, suits/jacket and tie, etc. Ladies are asked not to wear hats, as they tend to obscure the view of those seated behind them."
During Heat, the Prohibited List Is Relaxed
As "People" magazine reports, the regulations at Wimbledon are relaxed during extreme weather conditions. Kate was spotted in 2022 wearing a sun hat in the audience at the women's final, and royals such as Princess Beatrice (37) have also worn hats that the venue provided to combat the heat.
At the most recent men's final, the hat ban was also no longer in effect. And yet George and Charlotte wore the hats provided by Wimbledon, recognizable by their green and purple hatband. Kate brought her own sun hat. The ladies also used fans.
Children in the Royal Box Are an Exception
The fact that George and Charlotte were even sitting in the exclusive area is already a bending of the rules. Normally, children are not allowed there.
A case from 1999 shows how strictly this requirement was interpreted in the past. Katharine, the Duchess of Kent, wanted to bring two young family friends to the Royal Box. The "Guardian" reported at the time. Her ten-year-old godson was given the green light, but the organizers saw no room for her friend's twelve-year-old son. The Duchess, who was married to Prince Edward, the Duke of Kent, and died last year, was "deeply hurt" and even considered boycotting the Royal Box.
John Curry, then chairman of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, apologized but stuck to the line: Only children of the royal family were allowed to sit there. "Due to demand for seats in the Royal Box, we request that, apart from children of the royal family, no children be invited, as they exclude other worthy individuals, many of whom make a contribution to tennis", Curry said.
