Kate Middleton wore a wide-brimmed hat to the Women’s Singles Final in 2022 while seated in the Royal Box. Meghan Markle, meanwhile, was spotted holding a hat (not wearing it) during her 2018 outing with the Princess of Wales. The following year, Meghan wore a hat — but notably, she wasn’t seated in the box that day.
Still, the rules have caught out a few big names. Lewis Hamilton was famously turned away in 2015 after showing up without a tie, and Pippa Middleton — Kate’s sister — was once sent to regular seating alongside her mother Carole after arriving late to a match in 2017. Though they missed out on the prime view, they seemed in good spirits, smiling for photos in the stands.
Why the Royal Box still fascinates us
The fascination with the Royal Box goes beyond tennis. It’s a stage in its own right — a place where fashion choices are just as closely watched as forehands and backhands. In recent years, familiar faces like Olivia Rodrigo, Tom Daley, Eddie Redmayne, and Princess Beatrice have all been seen in the prized seats.
While its rules may seem old-fashioned, the Royal Box remains a symbol of British pageantry — where etiquette and tradition still hold court, no matter who you are.
