5 Times the Royal Family Broke Protocol at Wimbledon

The Royal Family and Wimbledon are both famous for their traditions and rules. Normally, royal guests sit perfectly composed in Centre Court's Royal Box, adhering to strict behavioral codes. But over the years, the sheer excitement of the tournament has caused even high-ranking royals to break tradition. These five memorable moments prove that even royal protocol is no match for Wimbledon fever.

When tennis legend Roger Federer won his historic eighth Wimbledon title in 2017, Prince William and Kate Middleton went behind the scenes to congratulate him. In a video shared by the official Wimbledon page, we could see that instead of a standard formal handshake or a simple double peck, Kate greeted her longtime family friend with three kisses on the cheek. This broke standard royal distance rules and also the famous royal two-kiss rule of European etiquette. Many pointed out that three cheek pecks are actually a traditional friendly greeting in Federer's home country of Switzerland!

Keeping a perfect poker face is practically in the royal job description, but elite tennis has a way of shattering that composure. During a high-stress 2022 quarterfinal match, Prince William let his royal restraint slip when British favorite Cameron Norrie lost a crucial point. Caught on live camera, William groaned, hid his face, and appeared to mouth a very un-royal curse word—a highly relatable reaction that instantly went viral. Not to be outdone, a young Prince George was also seen riding the emotional rollercoaster, looking visibly distraught by the match's turn of events.

Back in 2019 after her wedding to Prince Harry, Meghan Markle came to Wimbledon to watch her close friend Serena Williams play. However, she arrived wearing a white blazer paired with casual blue denim jeans. While fans can wear what they want, members of the Royal Family are expected to dress strictly in formal wear. Meghan, however, tore up the usual playbook. Rather than dressing for the elite royal enclosure, she chose a more casual look and headed down to a regular seating section to enjoy the match with her friends.

Royal protocol has long dictated a "hands-off" policy, meaning any regular citizen should not initiate close physical contact with the family. However, Katharine, Duchess of Kent, was famous for following her heart over formal rules. After tennis star Jana Novotná suffered a heartbreaking defeat in the 1993 finals, she broke down in tears during the trophy ceremony. Seeing her tears, Katherine moved past formal etiquette and pulled the crying runner-up into a warm, supportive hug.

The Royal Box is the ultimate symbol of Wimbledon luxury, reserving the best seats in the house exclusively for royals and VIPs. Yet, in 2019, Kate decided she wanted a much more grounded experience. Skipping the elite enclosure entirely for a portion of the day, she walked over to Court 14, a standard outer court, to watch British player Harriet Dart. By sitting side-by-side with regular ticket holders in the public stands, Kate showed she was there as a genuine tennis fan rather than just a royal guest.