This year’s Wimbledon Championships had a lot of famous people, from tennis players to movie stars, but the British royal family once again stole the show. The fans at Centre Court shouted and waited as 23-year-old Jannik Sinner won his first Wimbledon men’s singles title by beating Carlos Alcaraz in four hard-fought sets on July 13. Iga Świątek, who is 24 years old, put on a spectacular exhibition in the women’s final the day before. She won her sixth Grand Slam title by beating Amanda Anisimova 6-0, 6-0. There were also emotional highs in wheelchair competitions. Wang Ziying won the women’s singles by beating top seed Yui Kamiji. However, British favourites Alfie Hewett and Gordon Reid lost in the men’s wheelchair doubles final by a narrow margin.
Kate, the Princess of Wales, who has been a fan of the All England Club for a long time, was in the Royal Box. Kate went to both the men’s and women’s finals and awarded the victors their trophies in a classy way. On the last day, her husband Prince William and their two oldest children, Prince George, 11, and Princess Charlotte, 10, came to see her. They all seemed calm and ready for one of the biggest days in British sports.
But one royal child was missing: seven-year-old Prince Louis. Unlike his older siblings, Louis hasn’t competed at Wimbledon yet. William and Kate’s youngest kid wasn’t there to watch Sinner win or to go on the family outing that has been a royal ritual for the past few years. People who are interested in the royal family and tennis fans both noticed that he wasn’t there.
People and people who know the royal family believe that the answer is simple: Louis isn’t old enough to go yet. George and Charlotte both went to Wimbledon for the first time when they were eight years old. Charlotte did it in 2023 and George did it in 2022. A lot of people anticipate that Louis’s long-awaited first appearance will happen during next year’s competition, when he turns eight in April 2026.
Still, everyone stared at Louis’s older brother instead. People saw Prince George in a navy blazer, a striped tie, and a nice shirt, which is what you have to dress to the Royal Box. People felt sorry for him and praised his perfect clothes. In the Royal Box, you can’t wear jeans, t-shirts, sneakers, or sweatshirts. It’s hard for kids to look “smart” in the summer light, too.
Pictures of George at the match quickly went viral, and others pointed out how sad he appeared throughout the men’s singles final. A lot of people on social media felt bad for the little prince since he didn’t look very joyful. The heat and the way he was dressed were bothering him. A number of people on platforms like Instagram and X (formerly Twitter) said things like “sad,” “hot,” or “over it.”
“Did he really need to wear a suit?” “Surely he could have worn a polo and shorts?” one Instagram user asked, echoing what others commented about how the young heir would have been more comfortable in casual summer clothes. “Poor kid, I felt so bad for him in his suit and tie!” Another person commented, “No wonder he looks mad, bless him.” Some others made fun of the kids by saying things like, “Poor kids are probably boiling—normal kids are playing in paddling pools and eating ice cream, not sitting around in full suits and having to be perfect while everyone stares at them.”
As expected, George was calm and grown-up. These things are pleasant for him and Charlotte, but they also help them become used to the responsibilities and public attention that come with being royal. Even while the attention can be too much and the dress code is a bit much for a summer day, each appearance is a small step toward a destiny shaped by duty, tradition, and the eyes of the world.
Next year, when Prince Louis is eight, he will undoubtedly get his day at Centre Court. He will still be interesting to a lot of people because of the hilarious things he performs at other royal events till then. People will be just as excited to see him play at Wimbledon for the first time as they are to see his siblings play. The 2025 Championships were another step in the changing position of the royal family in the event, which is a time when history, sport, and the monarchy all come together in the summer light.