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After more than 100 years, King Charles is changing the rules at Buckingham Palace.
For the first time, players on the royal family’s outdoor tennis court no longer have to follow the strict “almost entirely white” dress code, The Sunday Times reported. According to the outlet, the 76-year-old has relaxed the protocol, making tennis whites now “preferred” but “not essential” for players, including members of the royal family, household staff and their guests.
Fox News Digital reached out to Buckingham Palace for comment.
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King Charles III is known for his formal wear and never wears sneakers or jeans. However, the monarch is relaxing the rules when it comes to the dress code at Buckingham Palace’s tennis court. (HANNAH MCKAY/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
Shannon Felton Spence, a former British public affairs official, told Fox News Digital that the king has been determined to modernize the monarchy, making it fresh and relevant for today’s public.
“King Charles is a very progressive-thinking man,” said Felton Spence. “He has been his entire life, always looking forward and trying to build for the future. He has made it his mission to reshape a monarchy fit for the purpose today and tomorrow, while keeping the cultural relevancy that grounds the institution. These initiatives are good news and should be celebrated.”
King Charles III ascended to the throne upon the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II. (Yui Mok/PA Images via Getty Images)
British royals expert Hilary Fordwich told Fox News Digital that it’s one of many changes the busy king has been making. She pointed out that Buckingham Palace announced on July 3 that the Royal Train, whose history dates back to Queen Victoria, would end 156 years of service. The palace shared it’s too costly to operate and would require a significant upgrade to accommodate more advanced rail systems.
British royals expert Hilary Fordwich told Fox News Digital that the rules for “tennis whites” were established in 1919. (Andrew Matthews/PA Images via Getty Images)
“The Royal Train is no longer,” said Fordwich. “Other changes have included lowering the temperature of the palace swimming pool to reduce energy consumption and other updates to palace amenities.”
“King Charles has previously broken many royal customs, including changes to ceremonial duties, the public displays of affection, and, in general, many public engagement styles,” she shared. “His direct engagement in political lobbying has not been well received and has been most ill-advised.”
Britain’s Queen Camilla, left, and King Charles III. center, wave Union Jack flags during the coronation concert, circa 2023. (Yui Mok/Getty Images)
The dress code upgrade is significant for the king, who is known for his formal wear. According to the outlet, Charles is rarely seen in jeans or sneakers. However, he wanted his staff and guests, in particular, to “feel less restricted by protocol.”
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King Charles III kisses the hand of French first lady Brigitte Macron as he bids her farewell following a tour of the gardens of Windsor Castle, in Windsor, west of London, on July 9, 2025. (AARON CHOWN/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
“While the end of the all-white tennis dress code at Buckingham Palace might seem somewhat minor, it’s a significant and rather symbolic step by King Charles to modernize the monarchy, making royal life more approachable and less bound by rigid traditions,” Fordwich explained.
Fordwich noted that the fashion rule was originally put in place when the court was built in 1919 during King George V’s reign. According to the Royal Collection Trust, it’s recognized as “London’s most exclusive tennis court.” The Sunday Times noted that it’s located in “a shady area of the palace’s 40-acre garden.”
According to The Sunday Times, the tennis court is located in “a shady area of the palace’s 40-acre garden.” (Pawel Libera/LightRocket via Getty Images)
“It has always been a hallmark of royal sporting etiquette,” Fordwich shared. “Players, including royals, staff and guests, may not wear colored clothing… It’s so sad to see yet another tradition abandoned.”
King Charles, left, will not be relaxed with his own personal style. (Samir Hussein/Getty Images)
It’s noted that for Charles’s ancestors, sweat was considered unsightly, and colorful clothing showed it off more than white ensembles.
Felton Spence noted that we can expect the king to continue bending the rules.
“Protocol are simply unofficial rules adopted through tradition. They started somewhere,” she said.
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King Charles III, right, stands aboard the Flying Scotsman train during a visit to Pickering on June 12, 2023 as part of the 100th anniversary of the train. (CHARLOTTE GRAHAM/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
Royal commentator Amanda Matta also told Fox News Digital that Charles’s latest move may have been a quiet one, but its message was loud and clear.
“It might seem like a minor change, but in royal circles, even a small dress code modification says a lot,” Matta explained. “By easing up on the all-white rule for tennis at Buckingham Palace, King Charles is continuing his quiet push to modernize the monarchy. This modernization will not be through big pronouncements, but with subtle shifts.”
King Charles III and Queen Camilla are seen here in Dunfermline, Scotland. (Photo by Andrew Milligan – Pool/Getty Images)
“The all-white rule dates back to Victorian ideas about formality and appearance, and changing it shows that Charles is willing to let go of traditions that feel outdated,” she shared. “It’s also a practical move. This isn’t Wimbledon, after all, and the court is used by family, guests, and even palace staff, so relaxing the rules makes sense. I’m expecting (and excited for) more of these small tweaks throughout Charles’ reign!”
Queen Camilla and King Charles III arrive to attend the CHOGM Reception & Dinner at the Robert Louis Stevenson Museum, near Apia, on Oct. 25, 2024 in Apia, Samoa. (Photo by Toby Melville-Pool/Getty Images)
Royal expert Ian Pelham Turner told Fox News Digital that Charles isn’t the only one looking to dust off the monarchy’s rigid rules. Kate Middleton made her fashion first by wearing Christian Dior on July 8 for the start of the French state visit. According to the outlet, the 43-year-old’s style choice was aimed at showing sartorial diplomacy. Her late mother-in-law, Princess Diana, was known to be a muse for the French fashion brand.
“There have been many arguments recently allegedly about fashion styles,” said Turner. “It is known that as soon as she is seen in a new outfit, it is sold out in minutes. Such is the demand to emulate her.”
The Prince and Princess of Wales attend a ceremonial welcome for France’s president and his wife at Windsor Castle on July 8, 2025. (DOMINIQUE JACOVIDES/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
Royal photographer Chris Jackson, author of “Charles III: A King and His Queen,” previously told Fox News Digital that Charles’s personal style has always shared important messages about his prized causes.
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Then-Prince Charles walks away from his Aston Martin DB6 during his visit to the new Aston Martin Lagonda factory in Barry, Wales, on Feb. 21, 2020. (REBECCA NADEN/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
“He’s got this beautiful Aston Martin that runs on biofuel, which is surplus wine and cheese whey, which is pretty incredible,” Jackson said. “He’s obviously very passionate about the environment, [and] he’s got this beautiful car, a DB6 Volante Aston Martin, that’s environmentally friendly.”
The king, who has been a longtime advocate of sustainable living, bought the car in 1970. He converted it to run on biofuels, which use ethanol created from cheese-making whey and wine. He loaned his beloved vehicle to his son Prince William, who used it to drive Kate from their nuptials in 2011.
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The king’s cousin, Lord Snowdon, once joked, “How does [the former] Prince Charles drive his Aston Martin? Caerphilly.”
King Charles III is seen here wearing his favorite dinosaur-printed tie while visiting the University College Hospital Macmillan Cancer Center to raise awareness of the importance of early diagnosis on April 30, 2024, in London, England. (Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)
Daily Mail reporter Robert Hardman, author of “The Making of a King,” also previously told Fox News Digital that Charles is known for sharing “coded messages” by using his ties.
“His favorite has a little T-Rex motif on it,” said Hardman. “I thought, ‘That’s a bit odd. I keep seeing this tie with a dinosaur on it… Of course, his cipher says, C. Rex, Charles Rex. So, I think he’s having a little joke about being king with his tie. But he’s in a good place. He’s a happy monarch.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
