Out with the old, in with the new.
King Charles has made the decision to scrap a strict, century-old dress code at Buckingham Palace in a major shake-up toward modernizing the monarchy.
The monarch, 76, has axed the traditional all-white attire that governed the palace’s private tennis court since 1919, the Times of London reports.
Previously, only those wearing white were allowed to partake in a match on the exclusive court — similar to the long-standing tradition that is still upheld at the annual Wimbledon Championships.
In an effort to create more of a relaxed atmosphere at the palace, Charles has now axed the strict rule, saying while it’s “preferable” for players to follow it, it’s no longer “essential.”
The all-white rule, which was introduced at Wimbledon in 1877, was established to minimize the appearance of sweat stains.
The tennis court at Buckingham Palace, dubbed the Windsor Court, was first built in 1919 during the reign of King George V, Charles’s great-grandfather.
While it was only used by members of the royal family at first, including King George VI and Queen Elizabeth II, it became available for use to Buckingham palace staff in later years.
It has also been used by tennis greats, including Fred Perry, Björn Borg and John McEnroe — with the latter pair reliving their 1980 and 1981 matches by going head-to-head in 2000 in a charity match.
Over the years, the annual tennis competition — which is currently taking place in full swing — has seen many members of the royal family attend the Royal Box.
While King Charles and Prince William are more fond of other sports over tennis, Princess Catherine is an avid tennis lover and is no stranger to attending the annual tennis championships.
In addition to being a patron, Middleton has been watching matches in the royal box on the center court for years.
The mom of three typically attends the men’s and women’s finals and presents the winners and runners-up with their trophies.
In 2023, the beloved royal joined forces with tennis legend Roger Federer to perform a ball girl task ahead of the championships.
The princess engaged with the Wimbledon ball boys and girls, and even enjoyed a sparring session with the Swiss star — an eight-time champion of the prestigious tournament.
In addition to work being done on the tennis court, Buckingham Palace is currently in the midst of several pricy refurbishments.
These include the palace’s heated swimming pool, which Charles has chosen to keep a few degrees cooler to reduce unnecessary costs.
