Queen MISSES Royal Ascot for just second time in 69 years as glam racegoers dazzle in huge hats
- 11:24, 15 Jun 2021
THE most glamorous event in the racing calendar is back and Royal Ascot attendees have certainly pulled out all of the stops with their fashion looks. One person set to miss today’s racing meeting is the Queen, who has attended every since Royal Ascot during her 69-year reign, apart from the 2020 event.
Last year Royal Ascot was held behind closed doors due to the coronavirus pandemic, but this year 12,000 lucky revellers are able to attend each day.
The Queen’s racing manager, John Warren, suggested to Radio 4 that it may be later in the week before Her Majesty goes to Royal Ascot.
The royals usually flock to enjoy the Ascot festivities together, and while the Monarch may be absent today, other members of the family are present for the racing.
Her stylish granddaughter Zara Tindall and husband Mike, along with Princess Anne, Prince Edward and wife Sophie, Countess of Wessex, are all in attendance.
Today is the opening day of the five-day meeting and stylish racegoers have dusted off their show-stopping hats and eye-catching dresses for the occasion. Female racegoers could be seen enjoying the sunny weather in high-sky stilettos and elegant dresses. And, like always, many people took the opportunity to get creative with their looks, opting for bold, colourful ensembles and unusual headwear. The notoriously strict dress code for Royal Ascot partly depends on which enclosure you happen to be in.
If you’re lucky enough to be in the royal enclosure, ladies are asked to wear “modest” dresses or skirts which finish just above the knee or longer. Meanwhile, dresses or tops must have a strap of one inch or wider (strapless, off-the-shoulder and spaghetti straps are banned). Hats or fascinators are compulsory, with a base of four inches or more. If you’re in the cheaper Queen Anne Enclosure, ladies can get away with fascinators and slightly shorter dresses.
ROYAL ENCLOSURE DRESS CODE FOR WOMEN
- “Modest” dresses or skirts which finish just above the knee or longer
- Dresses or tops with a strap of one inch or wider (strapless, off-the-shoulder and spaghetti straps are banned)
- Trouser suits and jumpsuits are welcome, but must be full-length to the ankle
- If wearing a trouser suit, jackets and trousers should be matching in material and colour
- Hats or fascinators, with a base of 4ins or more, must be worn
- Midriffs must be covered
It hasn’t been confirmed if the Queen will be in attendance this year, and the 2020 meeting was the first one the monarch missed in her 69-year reign. The Monarch, 95, usually arrives at Royal Ascot in a horse-drawn carriage, as the venue is located close to Windsor Castle. However, it has been confirmed that there will be no royal procession this year as there has been in the past. If you haven’t been lucky enough to bag a ticket for Royal Ascot, you can watch all of the races live on ITV. Usually more than 300,000 racegoers, dressed in their finery, gather for the five-day sporting and social highlight.
