The King has quietly scrapped a long standing tradition behind the closed walls of Buckingham Palace.
According to the Sunday Times, His Majesty has removed the long-standing all-white dress code at the private tennis courts of Buckingham Palace.
For decades, the palace courts – which are located in the gardens of the palace – have upheld an unwritten rule echoing the more famous grass courts of Wimbledon: players must wear white.
That rule has now been relaxed, with palace sources suggesting the King was keen to modernise the tradition and make the courts feel “less formal and more welcoming.” Visitors and guests are now free to don colourful attire for their games, so long as it remains appropriate for the setting.
While the Buckingham Palace courts are strictly private, the all-white rule had been one of the few stylistic links with the All England Club, home of Wimbledon.
However, the Championship’s famously strict dress code remains firmly in place – requiring players to wear “suitable tennis attire that is almost entirely white.”
Over the years, the Wimbledon dress code has seen its fair share of controversy. In 2017, Austria’s Dominic Thiem was asked to change his black underwear after they were deemed visible beneath his white shorts. Similarly, in 2013, Roger Federer was rebuked for wearing orange-soled trainers.
By contrast, the King’s decision to ease up on tennis whites at the palace may be modest, but it’s a telling gesture – reflecting his broader effort to modernise royal customs and make royal spaces feel more relaxed and inclusive.
