How The Royals Ace Wimbledon Style: See Their Best Outfits Through The Years

In a few short weeks we're set to welcome tennis' biggest and brightest stars to Wimbledon. But as well as the on-court fashion comes our best opportunity to see some of the most elusive of spectator style stars in their natural habitat. The royals.

At Wimbledon, the royals have always excelled at nailing that trickiest of dress codes: smart-casual. You don’t want to look stuffy, but you need to look suitable. Bare shoulders are a no-no so blazers are a recurring theme in the Royal Box, seen on everyone from Queen Camilla to Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, as are fit-and-flare dresses (shout out to the Duchess of Edinburgh in fashion-insider favourite Alaïa in 2017). Handbags carried in the crook of the arm are another perennial champion for the royals.

Bright, peppy colours are also a royal crowd pleaser. The Queen wore turquoise in 2010, the Duchess of Kent chose lime green in 1979 and Princess Marina of Kent opted for sunshine yellow, which she wore to present Billie Jean King with her ladies’ singles trophy, in 1967.

Ever the diplomatic dressers, the HRHs love to nod to the occasion in their clothes (some might call it literal, we say it’s just jolly good fun to watch). Nobody does this better than Wimbledon regular Kate Middleton. She has given us her own take on tennis whites over the years, in an Alexander McQueen cable-knit dress in 2012, polka dot Jenny Packham in 2018 and a buttoned Suzannah tea dress the colour of freshly poured cream in 2019 (best avoided if you’re watching on the grass of Henman Hill however). All were charmingly vintage-inspired, completely Royal Box appropriate and utterly summer social season to the core.

And then there’s Meghan, who brought a new energy to the Royal Box. The striped Ralph Lauren shirt she wore tucked into high-waisted trousers in 2018 caused a stir in all the right ways, and reminded us of the out-of-office potential shirting can resonate. And while the pillbox hats of the past might now feel a little dated, Markle’s Maison Michel straw fedora is a masterclass in modern millinery (although, apparently, it was a social faux-pas – guests in the Royal Box are asked not to wear hats in case they block the view of other spectators. Luckily, that’s a problem most of us won’t ever have to worry about).

The queen of Centre Court style, however, is Princess Diana. A Royal Box fixture during the 1980s and ’90s, she could steal the limelight from even the tensest of sets. Her power shoulders, oversized sunglasses, statement belts and contrast collars all feel ripe for a revival now. Consider pearls and bold, gold buttons to add a dash of Di to your own summer wardrobe. Her ’90s appearances are particularly chic – we have a soft spot for the belted red dress worn in 1994 and the pastel skirt suit worn in 1995.

Also filed under chic: royal rebel Princess Margaretsmoking in the Royal Box in 1965 (using a cigarette holder, naturally). We probably shouldn’t admit that, and you definitely shouldn’t try it – but Princess M will forever be ridiculously fun to watch. Here, find our edit of the best royal Wimbledon cameos. Consider it research to start planning what looks you’ll be serving up this summer.