- The British royal family heads to Ascot en masse for the annual horse show.
- Royal Ascot is a spectacle, not only for the races but also for the fashion presentation.
- King Charles and Queen Camilla subtly coordinated elegant looks, while Prince William opted for a sleek ensemble.
For Britain’s elite, Royal Ascot is the pinnacle of the summer social calendar.
The annual five-day horse racing event, which began on Tuesday this year and ends on Saturday, is nothing short of a spectacle, not only for the competition itself, but also for the luxurious and sometimes wild fashion of the spectators.
The dress code depends on the type of venue Royal Ascot visitors have access to, but as a general rule, the more exclusive the area, the more elaborate the outfits.
Members of the royal family – who have attended Royal Ascot since its founding in 1711 – are usually spotted in the royal enclosure, where men wear morning suits and women accessorize elegant summer dresses with fascinators and striking hats.
Royals like Prince William, King Charles III, Queen Camilla, and Princesses Eugenie and Beatrice were spotted dressed to the nines at Royal Ascot 2024. Here are all the outfits they wore.
Charles and Camilla set the standard for style from day one of Royal Ascot by subtly coordinating their evening wear.
Charles, 75, wore a light gray jumpsuit layered with a pale yellow vest and a striped collared shirt topped with a black top hat. The royal completed his look with a blue tie and pocket square, subtly coordinated with his date, Camilla, 76.
For her first day at Royal Ascot ensemble, Camilla opted for a royal blue coat and dress by Fiona Clare, accessorized with a brooch, white clutch, gloves and, of course, a hat. Eye-catching blue summer designed by a veteran British milliner. and the royal family’s go-to hat designer, Philip Treacy.
Camilla caused a stir the next day when she arrived at the races solo and wearing Dior.
Camilla’s second day ensemble consisted of a dark blue long-sleeved Dior dress with lace detailing on the bodice and a pleated skirt.
According to WWD, she completed her look with a Dior handbag, a layered blue Philip Treacy hat and a dazzling diamond and turquoise brooch that her late mother-in-law, Queen Elizabeth II, wore during a royal tour to Malta in 2015.
Charles opted for a different color palette for his appearance at Royal Ascot on Thursday.
The king paired his traditional gray suit with a sky blue waistcoat, a black and white pocket square and a small lilac flower on his lapel.
As usual, he teamed his look with a black top hat.
Meanwhile, Camilla opted for an all-white ensemble, complete with an emerald brooch.
On Thursday, Camilla chose her most summery outfit of the week: a long-sleeved white wrap dress and a matching white hat with a large floral appliqué.
She paired her dress with a matching handbag and added a pop of color with the Ladies of India brooch, an emerald and diamond piece of jewelry given to Queen Mary in the early 1900s, according to the court jeweler.
Wearing a traditional suit and top hat, Prince William was spotted catching up with his mother-in-law, Carole Middleton, on the second day of Royal Ascot.
Following the dress code to the letter, William, 41, arrived in a black suit jacket, gray trousers and a black top hat. He paired it with a double-breasted vest layered with a collared shirt and a blue patterned tie.
Although he arrived without Kate Middleton, who is undergoing cancer treatment but plans to attend several royal engagements throughout the summer, William was not alone at the races. Outside of the company of members of his royal family, he was photographed smiling and chatting with his in-laws, Michael and Carole Middleton.
Princess Anne paired a turquoise hat with one of her favorite red silk coats on the first day of Royal Ascot.
Anne, known for her unique and bold approach to fashion, chose to repurpose one of her favorite outfits for her Royal Ascot 2024 debut.
According to Hello! Magazine, she wore a red cashmere and silk botanical-print coat designed by Shibumi. The Princess Royal, 73, accessorized with dark blue gloves, a black gold chain handbag and a statement turquoise hat.
The next day, Anne opted for a slightly more traditional look but with a much larger hat.
Anne paired a royal blue midi skirt with a white jacket with blue trim layered over a collared shirt.
Although her look was tame compared to her first day outfit, she accessorized with a large blue and white hat decorated with floral appliqués.
Anne arrived in fresh lilac and blue tones on the third day of Royal Ascot.
The Princess Royal opted for another plant-embroidered summer coat at Royal Ascot on Thursday. But unlike her first day ensemble, her outfit was designed in cooler blue and light purple tones.
Anne accessorized with a trio of pearl necklaces, pearl earrings and a lilac hat with a floral bouquet made of feathers.
Princess Eugenie wore a mint green Diane von Furstenberg look on the first day of Royal Ascot with a saucer-shaped fascinator.
Eugenie, 34, wore Diane von Furstenberg’s sustainably made mint green ‘Mallery’ maxi dress, priced at $478.
The princess accessorized the sleeveless maxi dress, which features a high neckline and cinched waist, with emerald earrings and a light beige, almost flat hat from Emily London Headwear, according to Hello! Review.
She returned on the second day in an ivory Gabriela Hearst dress and a pastel pink hat with a decorative pom pom.
Eugenie was all smiles on the second day of Royal Ascot, wearing a cashmere and silk midi dress, designed by Gabriela Hearst. Dubbed the “Amor” knit dress, it retails for $1,550.
She paired the collared dress with another Emily London Headwear style: a pastel pink hat complemented by a single decorative pom pom.
That same day, Princess Beatrice went all out in a Zimmermann botanical dress, while her mother, Sarah Ferguson, wore a subtle navy and white ensemble.
Beatrice, 35, arrived at Royal Ascot on day two in an elaborate Zimmermann midi dress, dubbed the ‘Matchmaker’. The botanical print dress costs $1,090.
The lightweight, long-sleeved dress, made from silk organza, featured a diamond-embellished belt. The princess paired it with a gold clutch and pink headband with floral pieces designed by Juliette Millinery, WWD reported.
Beatrice was photographed alongside her mother, the Duchess of York, who wore a navy skirt with a white button-down Veronica Beard blazer.
On the first day of Royal Ascot, Zara Tindall’s yellow collared dress matched Mike Tindall’s button-up.
The Tindalls took note of Charles and Camilla’s style book and opted for subtly coordinated looks on the first day of Royal Ascot.
Zara, 43, arrived in a yellow dress designed by Laura Green. The “Masai” dress features sheer silk sleeves and a dramatic collar and costs £1,900, or about $2,400.
Mike, 45, wore a morning suit and accessorized the lapel of his jacket with a canary yellow rose, a nod to his wife’s look.
On Wednesday, Zara wore a white midi dress with puffed sleeves and a colorful botanical print, while Mike stuck to the men’s dress code.
Presenting another fashion masterclass to couples attending Royal Ascot, the Tindalls showed up in style on the second day of the race.
Zara wore a white midi dress covered in red, pink and light purple botanical prints. The $1,286 Angelika dress, designed by Anna Mason London, featured puffed sleeves and long cuffs. Zara paired it with a light pink fascinator, white pumps and a metallic clutch in a similar shade of white.
Sticking with the men’s dress code, Mike opted for a black suit jacket with gray striped pants. He added style to the look with a silk vest, pink tie and pink button-up.
Zara kept the stunning looks going on day three in a powder blue ensemble.
Her latest look consisted of a Rebecca Vallance Sky blue midi dress with puff sleeves, bow around the neckline and integrated belt. Zara paired the dress, on sale for $367, with lightweight pumps, a silver watch and jewelry, clutch and matching fascinator.
On day two, Prince Edward accented his morning outfit with a sparkly tie while his wife, Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, looked chic in a semi-sheer ivory dress covered in daisies.
Edward, 60, stuck to the dress code, pairing a black suit jacket with a collared shirt, light yellow waistcoat and black tie. He added a touch of individuality to his look with a bright yellow tie.
The prince was accompanied by his wife, Sophie, 59, who wore an ivory dress designed by Suzannah London. The “Keres” dress, which costs $4,950, features a layer of sheer tulle covered in mini daisies over a simple crepe dress. The Duchess of Edinburgh paired it with a wide-brimmed white hat and matching handbag.