Kate Middleton and Prince William's eldest son was spotted drinking water and using a fan to keep cool in the Royal Box at Centre Court
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NEED TO KNOW
- Prince George, 12, wore a suit to Wimbledon despite a U.K. heatwave
- Kate Middleton and Prince William’s eldest son was seen keeping cool with a handheld fan and by drinking water
- The reason for George’s attire was due to his exclusive seat
Prince George dressed smartly for Wimbledon despite high temperatures.
Kate Middleton and Prince William brought their two eldest children — Prince George, 12, and Princess Charlotte, 11 — to watch Jannik Sinner and Alexander Zverev face off in the gentlemen's singles finals on Sunday, July 12. The foursome took their seats in the front row of the Royal Box at Centre Court, where the Princess of Wales, who is the patron of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, usually sits for the finals.
Despite sunny weather and temperatures reaching the mid-80s°F, Prince George and Prince William were dressed in suits and ties for the sporting event. George was seen cooling off by drinking water and using a white handheld fan.
Prince George, Princess Charlotte, Princess Kate and Prince William also sported sunglasses at times throughout the match.
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The reason for Prince George's suit is due to where he was sitting. The Royal Box is an exclusive 74-seat area in the stands of Centre Court at Wimbledon, and invitations come directly from the chair of the All England Club.
According to Wimbledon's website, there is a dress code for the Royal Box that attendees must adhere to.
"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 website states.
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However, when the weather is especially severe, the rules can be bent. In 2022, Princess Kate was spotted wearing a sun hat during the women's singles final in the Royal Box on a very hot day, and royals like Princess Beatrice have sported hats that were handed out by the venue to keep guests comfortable in the heat.
Prince George and Princess Charlotte's appearance in the Royal Box is another example of bending the rules, as typically, children aren't permitted in the exclusive seating area.
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In September 1999, The Guardian reported that Katharine, the Duchess of Kent, who was married to Prince Edward, the Duke of Kent and died last year, wanted to invite two young family friends to sit with her in the Royal Box. While her 10-year-old godson got the green light to join her, organizers said they could not accommodate the 12-year-old son of her friend.
The outlet reported that Katharine was “deeply hurt” and even considered boycotting the Royal Box. John Curry, who then served as chairman of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, offered an apology but stuck to policy, explaining that only royal children were permitted to sit there.
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"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 said. "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."
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