Princess Charlotte's Wimbledon Look Broke A Royal Style Tradition

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Rules are to Wimbledon like lipsticks are to a cosmetics shop: There are lots. After the distracting champagne corks that kept popping through the 2025 final match between Jannick Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, with one landing at Sinner's feet before he was about to serve, we expect a possible ban on mid-match cork popping to come into effect for 2026. 

Then, of course, there are the rules of the game, but the rules that we find most interesting are the fashion ones. For example, players at Wimbledon have to wear all-white outfits (except for women, who can wear dark undershorts beneath their skirts). While there aren't technically guidelines for guests' outfits other than a ban on bold logos and political slogans, it's well-known that you should look pulled together if you're attending a match. 

Ah, but there is an exception, and that's for those sitting in the royal box, who need to adhere to the tennis club's rules of dresses or skirts for women and suits and ties for men. NB: Though it's not fashion protocol, there is also a rule that states children aren't allowed in the royal box on centre court. The exception? The royal offspring, naturally, and at the 2025 final, that meant that Prince George and Princess Charlotte sat alongside their parents, Prince William and Princess Catherine of Wales. Folks immediately noticed something interesting about Charlotte's look, though: her nail polish, which didn't seem to carry on one specific royal tradition.

At Wimbledon, 10-year-old Charlotte looked adorable in a white dress with navy piping and white Mary Jane ballet flats (mom Kate Middleton is a fan of trendy Mary Janes as well). But what's had the Internet buzzing about the young royal's appearance is Charlotte's pop of pink nail polish, which is a royal no-no. Or is it? 

Not officially, as it turns out. As royal etiquette experts have long pointed out, there isn't an established rule banning bright, colorful polish; it's simply something the late Queen Elizabeth II adhered to, opting for the pale-pink Essie Ballet Slippers Nail Polish because it was subtle, chic, and classy. To the late queen, wearing nude shades was the most appropriate, as it was simply flattering and didn't draw too much attention.

Interestingly, this tradition has been broken a few times before. Charlotte's auntie, Meghan Markle, wore a vampy shade when she was an acting royal, and to 2023 Easter services, Kate donned a dash of red polish. We love that the young princess wore a pop of pink on her digits — it looked age-appropriate and fresh, and it added a bit of personality to her outfit.

Princess Charlotte may not have broken any official rules, but we can't say the same about her mother. That's right: Princess Catherine of Wales broke one of the fashion rules for those sitting in the royal box: no hats, as they can block the view of others around them. Though she didn't don it for long, Kate Middleton did briefly wear a straw hat. (It could have been while the match was paused, but we can't say for certain.) Though Kate Middleton's Wimbledon looks are among her most regal outfits, she wore the same rule-breaking hat in the royal box back in 2022 with a beautiful yellow ensemble.

More than a few others have broken the event's fashion rules over the years as well. Tennis bad boy Nick Kyrgios was fined in 2022 for wearing red Air Jordans. Anna Kournikova, who has also worn a few inappropriate outfits in her day, had to change into white shorts in 2002, which her coach had to lend her. Formula 1 megastar Lewis Hamilton was even denied entry into the royal box in 2023 because he was wearing a floral shirt and gray pants, not the required suit and tie. So, don't worry, Charlotte — you definitely aren't the first to break tradition with your Wimbledon look.