Specific Fashion Rules Celebs & Royals Are Encouraged To Follow At Wimbledon

Everyone knows about "Wimbledon whites," especially the players. In fact, it's mandated by the All England Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club (AELTC) that competitors must wear almost entirely white, with a crucial update in 2022 permitting solid, dark underwear, as tighty-whities can prove problematic at certain times of the month. But what about the spectators? Do they have a dress code?

Sort of. Unofficially, guests are encouraged to dress "smart casual," meaning less formal than even the most casual wedding dress codes, but nothing you wouldn't wear to church. However, if you want to sit in the Royal Box — the section reserved for royal families, heads of state, and other VIPs invited by the AELTC — it's a whole different story. Men seated in the Royal Box are required to wear a suit with a jacket and tie — absolutely no exceptions. The rules are less strict for women, but the "smart casual" directive is even stronger, with hats discouraged to avoid obstructing anyone's view.

Much like the Backstreet Boys, the gatekeepers at the Royal Box don't care who you are, where you're from, or what you did — if you've violated the dress code, you're not getting in. In 2015, Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton found that out the hard way. After excitedly posting evidence of his invitation to Instagram, fans were puzzled to see that his seat in the Box remained empty, learning later through a spokesperson that, "due to an unfortunate misunderstanding regarding dress code at Wimbledon, Lewis [was] very disappointed to have missed the men's final."

Somewhat more controversially, when the Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle — the American actress married to Prince Harry, who has long been rumored to have bad blood with the rest of the British royal family — was seen at a 2019 match wearing blue jeans, it was whispered that she'd been denied entry to the Royal Box. While it's true that the outfit would have been forbidden, according to The Times, sources from both the AELTC and Markle's inner circle claimed she was there "in a private capacity" and never intended to sit with the family, attending only to cheer on her friend, Serena Williams. No word on Prince Harry, given the couple's penchant for perfectly coordinated outfits.