Did Kate Middleton Break the Royal Box’s No Hats Rule at Wimbledon?

Kate Middleton looked fashionable while attending the Wimbledon Tennis Championships over the weekend, but did she commit a dress code faux pas?

The Princess of Wales, 44, was seated in the Royal Box for both the women’s and men’s singles championships on Saturday, July 11, and Sunday, July 12, respectively. In her role as royal patron of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, she also took center court after the matches to award trophies to the champions: Linda Nosková of the Czech Republic and Jannik Sinner of Italy.

This year’s tournament fell in the midst of an English heatwave, with midday high temperatures reaching the high 80s. Attendees in the Royal Box were also in direct sunlight, and many were seen attempting to stay cool with portable fans and water bottles — including Prince George, who sported a suit and tie, keeping with the Royal Box’s dress code.

Midway through the final matches on both days, hats came out — despite the accessories being discouraged in the Royal Box.

According to Wimbledon’s website, “Ladies are asked not to wear hats, as they tend to obscure the vision of those seated behind them.”

However, Princess Kate didn’t break any Wimbledon rules. When the weather gets hot, it’s normal for the tennis tournament to relax its protocol surrounding hats. In fact, fedoras with purple and green hat bands — the club’s official colors — were provided by the tennis tournament in an effort to keep guests cool and comfortable in the hot temperatures.

While the Princess of Wales brought her own headwear, her two children — Prince George, 12, and Princess Charlotte, 11, who joined her at the event on Sunday — were seen donning the Wimbledon-provided hats and sharing a laugh over their new headpieces.

Despite bringing her own hats on both Saturday and Sunday, Princess Kate only wore the accessories briefly. She ditched the headpieces when it was time to go down to the court and present the trophies to the winners and runners-up.

This year isn’t the first time that Kate has brought a hat and worn it in the Royal Box at Wimbledon. Her sister-in-law Meghan Markle has also worn the accessory to the tennis tournament when she wasn’t sitting in the Royal Box.

When the Duchess of Sussex sat in the Royal Box with Princess Kate at Wimbledon in 2018, she was seen carrying a hat, but she never put it on.

This year’s Wimbledon tournament was taking place shortly after Meghan and Prince Harry returned to the U.K. with their kids — Prince Archie, 7, and Princess Lilibet, 5 — for the first time since 2022. Buckingham Palace confirmed on Friday, July 10, that King Charles and Queen Camilla hosted Harry, Meghan and the children that afternoon at Highgrove House, the monarch’s private country residence in Gloucestershire, England.

No images are expected to be released from the long-awaited reunion, and no further details will be provided, as it was a private family meeting.