The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge took the 8-year-old royal to his first Wimbledon tennis tournament where he watched Novak Djokovic win the men’s singles final.
However, some commentators picked up on the fact the future king, third in line to the throne, was dressed in a full suit and tie.
George himself commented on the weather as he arrived at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, telling his parents he was “too hot” on July 10.
However, it is not the first time a royal has questioned the outfit choices made on their behalf after Prince Harry previously joked he and William would protest at the “ridiculous” clothes Princess Diana put them in.
Prince George’s Wimbledon Suit
Prince George has been touring Britain’s elite sports over the past year, wearing a full suit and tie to watch England’s soccer team reach the Euro 2021 final.
He was similarly dressed for the Platinum Jubilee, when social media users affectionately compared him to a soccer manager pondering tactics from the touch line.
However, the Wimbledon men’s singles final came during a heatwave in Britain which saw London temperatures push past 86 degrees Fahrenheit, leaving commentators wondering why George was left sweltering in a shirt, tie and jacket aged eight.
Robert Jobson, author of biography William at 40, wrote on Twitter: “I know there is a strict dress code in the Royal Box at @Wimbledon & his mum & dad are very respectful of such things, but did Prince George really have to wear a suit and tie in that heat? Surely a smart polo shirt and chinos would have been fine, he’s only 8!”
Journalist Lorraine King wrote: “There’s no way a child should be dressed in a suit and tie on one of the hottest days this year.
“Poor Prince George must have been sweating buckets. I’m just imagining the heavy criticism if Harry and Meghan had dressed Archie like this on a sweltering day.”
This is not the first time the royals have been criticized for the way they dress their children, though William and Kate have gone for a far more modern look for George.
Princess Diana’s Outfit Choices for Harry and William
Princess Diana famously dressed William and Harry in a variety of unusual outfits which Harry recalled when discussing his mother during a moving interview marking the 20th anniversary of her death in 2017.
Harry told ITV documentary Diana, Our Mother: Her Life and Legacy: “One thing I would love to ask her now. I genuinely think she got satisfaction out of dressing myself and William up in the most bizarre outfits—normally matching.
“It was weird shorts and little shiny shoes with the old clip on. Looking back at the photos it just makes me laugh and I think, ‘How could you do that to us?’
“And funnily enough we got to the age when William would turn around and go, ‘This is ridiculous, I’m the older brother. Why do I have to be dressed the same as him?’ And I’m sort of thinking, ‘Hang on a second, if you’re going to dress differently, I’m not going to be the only person dressed like this. This is ridiculous!’”
There were clearly no hard feelings as Prince Harry described Diana as the “best mother ever.”
However, the account highlights the way William and Kate have chosen a new path for George, while still curating a particular look for the future king.
