Celebrities, horse racing fans, and regular British upper class folk are dusting off their hats and practicing hiding their cumbersome new giant hat elastics under their hair, because Royal Ascot 2024 is here.
The five-day event kicked off on Tuesday, June 18, with cigar smoke, sunshine, and a smile from King Charles. Members of the royal family were also in attendance, including Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, who wore a cobalt blue look by Fiona Claire Couture; Princess Anne, who wore a red embroidered dress coat; Zara Tindall, who chose a lemon-hued Lola Green puff-sleeved dress with a gold flying saucer boater; and Princess Eugenie, who wore a mint green Diane von Furstenberg look.
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Anne, Princess Royal, Lady Gabriella Kingston
Chris Jackson/Getty Images
Four months after the death of her husband, Tom Kingston, Dame Gabriella Kingston joined the procession. Wearing a floral-print Catherine Walker dress and a trendy Bottega Veneta clutch, she arrived in a carriage with the Princess Royal and Peter Phillips, and was greeted with a hug from Tindall in the parade ring.
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Charles III
Chris Jackson/Getty Images
The star spot on the first day was the Royal Enclosure's “Summer House.” After being dropped off by this year's “official chauffeur” Wheelie, guests mingled while enjoying free-flowing Moet. Rod Stewart's wife, Penny Lancaster, appeared holding a parasol made of fresh flowers, rubbing shoulders with footballer Theo Walcott and rapper Bugsy Malone.
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Penny Lancaster
Dave Bennett/Asc Getty Images
London fashion designer Daniel W. Fletcher served as Royal Ascot's first-time creative director this year, filling the garden tables with dapper boys who put a playful twist on the traditional dress code. “We wanted to take a fresh approach to race attire. The Royal Ascot dress code will remain the same, but we wanted to explore how we could be most creative within it,” he said of the event's style guide.
“Let's take a chance to be brave.” One of the guests attracted attention by wearing a several-meter long tailcoat.
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Daniel Miller, Daniel Fletcher, Benedict Coke, Ben Schofield, Harrison Osterfield
Ascot Racecourse Getty Images
As for the more questionable attire, Beyoncé's “cowboycore” seemed to make an appearance at the races, with several attendees pairing their dresses with country-western hats or wearing white suits with fringe. This isn't Texas, ladies.
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Carol and Michael Middleton
Jonathan Brady/PA Wire
Top arrivals on Tuesday were Carole and Michael Middleton, the parents of the Princess of Wales, making their first public appearance since their daughter's cancer diagnosis. Zara Tindall arrived for the second day in a row with her husband Mike, in a printed cotton dress by Anna Mason, but the most talked-about arrival was Elizabeth Hurley, in a £3,900 long-sleeved white lace and floral embroidered dress and a hat that looked like an empty fruit basket.
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Prince Edward, Princess Beatrice of York, Prince William
Getty Images
The Royal Procession began at 2pm, with Camilla at the front, joined by Prince William and Peter Wood, Earl of Halifax. The joyous procession concluded with Prince Edward, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, and their mother, Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York. The third day, Thursday, was Ladies' Day, with an impressive line-up of guests, many of whom may have benefited from following Coco Chanel's immortal advice: “Before you leave the house, look in the mirror and take off one thing.”
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Rupert Lycett Green and model Jerry Hall
Jonathan Brady/PA Wire
Mick Jagger and Rupert Murdoch's former partner Jerry Hall appeared in navy blue dresses alongside British fashion designer Rupert Lycett-Green. Singer Katherine Jenkins opted for a bright white dress with black see-through gloves and a matching black hat, while Lady Victoria Hervey made a statement in an ivory ostrich feather gown with a waist-high slit.
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Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh
Getty Images
King Charles resumed his usual royal duties after a second day off, arriving in a horse-drawn carriage with Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, who also opted for a white dress. They were also accompanied by Princess Anne and Lady Sarah Chatto, and the Duchess of Edinburgh, Sophie, and Zara Tindall.
Royal Ascot's best dressed guests
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Rupert Lycett Green and model Jerry Hall
Jonathan Brady/PA Wire
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Katherine Jenkins
Jonathan Brady/PA Wire
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Lucien Laviscount
Getty Images
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Charles III and Camilla
Jonathan Brady/PA Wire
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Princess Anne and Lady Sarah Chatto
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Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh
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Zara Tindall
Yui Mok/PA Wire
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Daniel Lismore
Yui Mok/PA Wire
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Elizabeth Hurley
Royal Ascot
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Peter Wood, Earl of Halifax and Prince William
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Queen Camilla
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Prince Edward, Princess Beatrice of York, Prince William (Prince of Wales)
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Carole Middleton and Michael Middleton
Jonathan Brady/PA Wire
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Jack Brooksbank, Duchess Eugenie of York, Lucy van Straubenzee, Lady Laura Meade, Carole Middleton
Getty Images
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Sarah Ferguson Duchess of York
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Mike and Zara Tindall
Royal Ascot
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Betty Bach
Royal Ascot
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Eric Underwood
Royal Ascot
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Lady Eliza and Amelia Spencer
Royal Ascot
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Theo and Melanie Walcott
Dave Bennett/Asc Getty Images
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Chris Jackson/Getty Images
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Zara Tindall and VRC Chairman Neil Wilson
Ascot Racecourse Getty Images
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Bugsy Malone and Tilly Amati
Dave Bennett/Asc Getty Images
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Matthias Lefèbvre and Cinderella Balthazar
Dave Bennett/Asc Getty Images
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Francesca Cumani
Ascot Racecourse Getty Images
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Flagg Twins, Kevin and Kahlon Bonsu
Dave Bennett/Asc Getty Images
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Louise Law and Scott Wimsett
Dave Bennett/Asc Getty Images
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Stephen Jones
Dave Bennett/Asc Getty Images
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Alexandra Bertram, Harrison Osterfield, Mandy Bradbrook, Ben Schofield, Daniel Miller, Laura Warner, Joe Bromley, Andrea Thompson, Benedict Coke, Daniel Fletcher, Colin Anglade, Matthias Le Fèbvre, Nick Howard Lanes, Sofia Hadjipanteli, Cinderella Balthazar
Dave Bennett/Asc Getty Images
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Andrea Thompson
Dave Bennett/Asc Getty Images
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Colin Anglar
Dave Bennett/Asc Getty Images
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Flora McDonald Johnston
Ascot Racecourse Getty Images
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Guest perform “Cowboy Core”
Ascot Racecourse Getty Images