Why Prince George wore suit at Wimbledon, even in the heat

Prince William and Catherine, Princess of Wales, brought their two eldest children, Prince George, 12, and Princess Charlotte, 11, to the 2026 Wimbledon men’s final on Sunday, 12 July. Twelve-year-old Prince George sat in the Royal Box at Centre Court in a full suit and tie, even as temperatures climbed into the mid-80s °F. He wasn’t the only one sweating for style. His father, William, Prince of Wales, also wore formal attire to watch Jannik Sinner and Alexander Zverev face off in the singles final.

Pic courtesy: X/ @thewalesbrasil

The children took the front-row seats their mother usually occupies as patron of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club. But why did the tween suit up, despite the scorching heat? Cameras caught him trying to keep cool as temperatures soared and the on-court action heated up.

Why did the 12-year-old suit up?

Prince George and Prince William came dressed in suits and ties for the sporting event. The royal offspring was seen sipping water and working a small handheld fan between points. But their stiff attire wasn’t a fashion choice. They were simply adhering to the policy. Wimbledon’s Royal Box holds just 74 seats, and every invitation comes from the chair of the All England Club itself. There is a dress code for Royal Box attendees. ‘Protocol: dress is smart, suits/jacket and tie, etc. Ladies are asked not to wear hats, as they tend to obscure the vision of those seated behind them,’ the Wimbledon website states.

Pic courtesy: X/ @thewalesbrasil

As the weather was severe, that rule was bent this year. With the sun bearing down, George and Charlotte wore hats supplied by Wimbledon, marked with the tournament’s green and purple band. Princess Catherine brought her own sun hat. It wouldn’t be the first time. In 2022, the Princess of Wales wore a sun hat to the women’s final on a scorching afternoon, and Princess Beatrice did the same, wearing headwear handed out by the venue.

Pic courtesy: X/ @thewalesbrasil

The no-hats rule also didn’t stick this year, amid the scorching heat. Many fans were seen wearing hats and fanning themselves to cool off.Meanwhile, Prince George and Princess Charlotte’s presence in the Royal Box broke with another unwritten rule: children don’t typically get a seat in this exclusive area. Back in September 1999, Katharine, Duchess of Kent, tried to bring two young family friends into the Royal Box, according to The Guardian. Though her 10-year-old godson was cleared to attend, the other, a friend’s 12-year-old son, was turned away.The Duchess, who was married to Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, and died last year, was reportedly upset enough by the decision that she considered skipping the Royal Box altogether. John Curry, the then chairman of the All England Club, apologised for the sting but didn’t budge on the rule. He explained that only royal children were allowed to sit in the exclusive seating area.

“As happens every year with all our royal guests, I reconfirmed our guidelines concerning the invitation of additional guests and the subject of children. No royal has been limited to one guest in the past or will be in the future,” Curry told the publication. “Because of demand for space in the Royal Box, we also ask that, apart from children of the royal family, children are not invited, as they exclude other worthy people from attending, many of whom contribute to tennis.“Three decades later, the exception clearly applies to Prince William and Catherine’s own children. George and Charlotte had their seats. They just had to dress the part.