Princess Charlotte reaches 'milestone' alongside Princess Kate and Pippa Middleton

Princesses Kate and Charlotte/Princess Charlotte and Pippa Middleton

Charlotte made the stylistic switch-up for a family outing on Centre Court

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James Saunders

By James Saunders


Published: 22/07/2024

- 08:14

The young princess is third in line to the throne

Princess Charlotte's appearance at Wimbledon earlier this month has marked a "milestone" for the nine-year-old royal for one key reason.

Charlotte was spotted stepping out for the men's singles final on July 14 alongside her mother, Princess Kate, and her aunt, Pippa Middleton - and some stylistic choices made for the young princess have turned heads in the fashion world.


The princess was wearing a navy and white polka dot Guess dress, cream Papouelli ballet pumps and a pair of pink-framed, pink-lensed Ray-Ban glasses - choices which have drawn their fair share of plaudits.

Bethan Holt, the Telegraph's style director, told People magazine: "It felt like a bit of a milestone - like she's transitioning from a sweet little girl in smocked floral dresses to a slightly more grown-up tween vibe."

Princess Charlotte at Wimbledon

The princess sported a navy and white polka dot dress

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And senior figures at West London luxury children's shoemakers Papouelli expressed their delight to have Charlotte wearing their wares.

The brand's co-founder Nicole Robinson said: "She looked lovely, and we are always thrilled when she wears our shoes.

"She has transitioned from a very gorgeous Mary Jane shoe into a ballerina style which is very age-appropriate," Robinson told People.

Robinson added that the ballet pumps in question were "incredibly comfortable" and immensely popular among young girls - with Papouelli keeping them in their collection for upwards of 15 years.

MORE ON THE WALES CHILDREN:

Princess Charlotte and Pippa Middleton

The princess marked her fashion milestone alongside aunt Pippa Middleton

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Princess Kate and Princes George and William at Wimbledon

Charlotte's dress mirrored one worn by her mother two years prior

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While Charlotte's footwear drew praise, her dress - layered, cinched and with a hint of ruffle - harked back to a similar number sported by the Princess of Wales when she made an appearance at the tournament in 2022.

It was a different family trio stealing the headlines then: in 2022, Princess Kate watched on from the royal box alongside Prince William and Prince George - both of whom have since swapped tennis for football in a number of high-profile appearances.

Back then, the royal three watched on as Nick Kyrgios lost out to Novak Djokovic, again in the men's singles final - but this year's all-female group spectated as 21-year-old Carlos Alcaraz beat Djokovic for his second successive Wimbledon title.

Kate and Charlotte had made the rounds in the run-up to the final, and were pictured greeting British rising stars Flora Johnson and Yuriko Lily Miyazaki ahead of the men's singles face-off.

Princesses Kate and Charlotte meet Flora Johnson and Yuriko Lily Miyazaki

The princesses met British tennis stars Flora Johnson and Yuriko Lily Miyazaki

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Princesses Kate and Charlotte and Pippa Middleton with a celebrity crowd at Wimbledon

Pippa and the princesses were pictured in a star-studded royal box

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Princess Kate, Princess Charlotte and Carlos Alcaraz

The royal duo met with men's singles champion Carlos Alcaraz

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Then, the duo met Alcaraz after his landmark win, in which Kate presented the Spanish starlet with the Gentlemen's Singles Trophy.

In a sure-fire sign of some sage sartorial selection, Charlotte's Guess dress sold out mere hours after her Wimbledon appearance.

The dress, priced at £70, flew off the shelves near-instantaneously - but Princess Kate's lilac midi dress from Safiyaa, a touch more expensive, remains on the market for those shoppers who can stump up the cash.

Kate's £1,295 dress is still available to purchase from the brand's website, unlike Charlotte's navy number.

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