Topics: Fashion, Kate Middleton, Life, Royal Family, Sport, UK News, Wimbledon
Sunshine, strawberries and cream, and of course, Pimms, can only mean one thing - Wimbledon is back.
And since the annual London-based tennis tournament kicked off this week, celebrities have been flocking to the Royal Box in full force.
For those not familiar, the Royal Box has been used ‘for the entertainment of friends and guests of Wimbledon’ since 1922.
British and overseas Royal Families are invited, as well as heads of government, people from the world of tennis, commercial partners, prominent media organisations, famous faces, supporters of British tennis, and more.
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And this year is no different, with some of the big names spotted in the best seats in the house already including Olivia Rodrigo, Tom Daley, Eddie Redmayne, and Princess Beatrice.
However, did you know that even the most A-List of celebrities will get turned away if they don’t follow a very strict set of rules?
That’s right - Lewis Hamilton, Meghan Markle, and Kate Middleton's sister Pippa are amongst the very high profile names who have fallen victim to the regulations over the years.
In 2015, the Formula One legend, now 40, famously missed the legendary final match between Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer because he didn’t stick to the dress code.
The Wimbledon website explains that gentlemen in the Royal Box must wear a tie - something that he seemed to forget
It also didn’t help that the driver arrived fashionably late, meaning he was denied entry from the boujee box.
Late arrival was also the reason why the Princess of Wales’ sister, Pippa Middleton, was also turned away on the big day just a few years later in 2017.
According to the Daily Express, Pippa and her mother Carole were denied the chance to sit with the rest of their family because they turned up late.
The pair reportedly showed up just a little bit too late to see Andy Murray take on French professional Benoit Paire.
Instead of getting to sit with their fellow famous faces, they were taken to the regular seats, situated behind the box.
However, it didn’t seem to get them down as in all of the photos from the day out, they seemed to be having a whale of a time.
Meghan Markle also reportedly got turned away one year for another dress code related issue - and it’s not what you’d expect.
The Duchess of Sussex turned up to watch the tennis competition in a pair of blue jeans, something that is not permitted, according to The Times.
The protocol is to dress smartly - this means suits and jackets with a tie for men.
Ladies are also asked not to wear hats, as they tend to obscure the vision of those seated behind them.
