Fashion fault: The Wimbledon rule ignored by Princess Catherine

The Age

14-07-2025

A controversial error at the Wimbledon men's singles final by the usually faultless Princess Catherine could force the hand of fashion umpires.
At the women's singles final Catherine's cream dress from Self-Portrait, accessorised with a tote from Anya Hindmarch (not from the handbag designer's collection for Woolworths supermarkets) was a flawless example of day dressing.
The streamlined silhouette was repeated at the men's final in a cornflower blue dress by Roksanda, where Catherine presented the winner's trophy to Jannik Sinner, but it was her choice of accessory that challenged tennis club etiquette.
Catherine arrived at Wimbledon clutching a wide-brimmed, ribbon-trimmed hat from LK Bennett. During the final, Catherine wore the hat when the sun hit the royal box, while waving a fan to combat the effects of the London heatwave.
Having set the tone, Catherine was joined by Australian Oscar-winner Nicole Kidman, covering up in a panama hat from Italian designer Brunello Cucinelli. Kidman's neighbour in the royal box, outgoing US Vogue editor Anna Wintour, relied on her signature bob and sunglasses for sun protection.
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The dress guide for the royal box at Wimbledon advises: 'Ladies are asked not to wear hats, as they tend to obscure the vision of those seated behind them.'
This is the second time that Catherine has ignored the advice of the club, which she became patron of in 2016. In 2022, in a yellow dress from Roksanda, the Princess of Wales also wore the LK Bennett straw hat.
'Rules like not wearing hats are outdated and dangerous,' says Australian model Deborah Hutton, who founded the sun smart hat collection Canopy Bay in 2021, following her own experiences with skin cancer. 'Melanoma rates are on the rise in the UK. At the tennis the sun is baking you. It's insanity not to wear a hat of some description.'