Royals British Royal Family Prince George and Princess Charlotte Watched Wimbledon in the Royal Box, but Kids Usually Aren't Allowed The Prince and Princess of Wales' two eldest children had some of the best seats in the house By Janine Henni Janine Henni Janine Henni is a Royals Staff Writer for PEOPLE Digital, covering modern monarchies and the world's most famous families. Like Queen Elizabeth, she loves horses and a great tiara moment. People Editorial Guidelines Published on July 17, 2023 04:33PM EDT Close Princess Charlotte and Prince George watch Wimbledon on July 16. Photo: Karwai Tang/WireImage Prince George and Princess Charlotte watched Wimbledon from a prime spot that's typically off-limits to kids. On Sunday, Prince William and Kate Middleton brought their two eldest children to the final day of the tennis championship at All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club. The Wales family (minus Prince Louis) sat in the front row of the Royal Box for the thrilling men’s singles final between Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz, which marked Charlotte’s Wimbledon debut and George’s second time at the tournament. While George, 9, and Charlotte, 8, were on their best behavior in the exclusive enclosure, Wimbledon has had a tricky history regarding kids in the Royal Box. In September 1999, The Guardian reported that Katharine, the Duchess of Kent (who is married to Prince Edward, the Duke of Kent) wanted to invite two young family friends to sit with her in Royal Box at Wimbledon on different days. While the Duchess of Kent’s 10-year-old godson got the green light to join her, organizers said they could not accommodate the 12-year-old son of the Duchess' bereaved friend. RELATED: Prince George and Princess Charlotte's Cutest Wimbledon Moments — and Most Animated Reactions! Kate Middleton, Princess Charlotte, Prince George and Prince William attend Wimbledon on July 16. Karwai Tang/WireImage According to the outlet, Katharine was “deeply hurt” and considered boycotting the Royal Box. John Curry, who then served as chairman of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, offered an apology but stuck to policy, explaining that only royal children were allowed to sit there. "As happens every year with all our royal guests, I reconfirmed our guidelines concerning the invitation of additional guests and the subject of children. No royal has been limited to one guest in the past or will be in the future,” Curry said in a statement. "Because of demand for space in the royal box, we also ask that, apart from children of the royal family, children are not invited as they exclude other worthy people from attending, many of whom contribute to tennis," he added. RELATED: Prince George Is All Grown Up at Air Show! See His First Appearance as a Toddler — and the Then and Now Pics Katharine, the Duchess of Kent, presents Venus William with the Ladies Singles trophy at Wimbledon in 2000. Rebecca Naden - PA Images/PA Images via Getty However she may have felt in the moment, Katharine appeared to put the incident behind her. The following year, she presented Venus Williams with the women’s singles trophy at Wimbledon — her first Grand Slam victory. According to the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club’s Wimbledon entry rules, children of all ages are welcome to attend. While the 74-seat Royal Box is synonymous with the British royal family, the seats are not exclusively reserved for royalty. It’s up to the chairman of the All England Club to distribute invites for the two weeks of competition, with suggestions submitted by members of The Championships’ Organising Committee, The Lawn Tennis Association and other sources, the Wimbledon website states. Can't get enough of PEOPLE's Royals coverage? Sign up for our free Royals newsletter to get the latest updates on Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle and more! Prince George and Princess Charlotte aren’t the first royal kids to watch Wimbledon from the Royal Box — Prince William sat in the special space to watch tennis with Princess Diana in 1991 and 1994. Princess Diana and Prince William attend Wimbledon in 1991. Rebecca Naden/PA Images via Getty