Racegoers showed off their finery as they arrived for day three of Royal Ascot today, amid rumours Her Majesty may make an appearance.
Guests were snapped wearing outfit boasting a rainbow of colours, as they made the most of the sunshine during Ladies Day.
The five-day society favourite event has returned to its pre-pandemic extravagance, after restrictions meant it was subdued in 2020 and 2021.
And so far, attendees have shown their appreciation for the races’ return, donning high fashion finery and some show-stopping millinery for their big days out.
Fashion forward racegoers showed off their personal styles in colourful outfits, including a red and blue ensemble (left) and this pastel pink look (right) at day 3 of Ascot today
Style over comfort: With their large headgear, these Ladies Day fans appear to prioritised their look over practicality
Going all out: This Ascot attendee made a statement in an all-white look, which she paired with an unusual accessory – a gold topped wooden walking cane
Guests arrived at the famous Berkshire racecourse for Ladies Day, showing off their extravagant outfits, donning lavish facinators and hats alongside their glamorous frocks
Racegoers at this year’s Ascot showed off a range of rainbow coloured outfits as they attended the third day of the society favourite event
This attendee was snapped wearing an extravagant purple hat as she arrived at the famous raceground ahead of Ladies Day
Fan-tastic: Canny attendees anticipated the June heat today, carrying fans to help them cool off under the hot sun
Headgear: These women showed off their eye-catching hats, making the most of Ladies Day to show off their style
This group seemed to have coordinated their look, with yellow playing a dominant role in their collective colour palette
Guests at Ascot today showed off a veritable range of colours and style, from a rainbow hat to a simple black option
True blue: For this couple, Royal Ascot provided an opportunity to show off their allegiance to the Union Jack, rocking a patriotic look
Meanwhile, this couple was more understated, opting for black as the key colour in their coordinating look
Something different: A Ladies Day attendee makes a statement in a huge, fuchsia fringed hat, which conceals much of her face
The British royal family has been out in force this week, with the Prince of Wales, 73, and Duchess of Cornwall, 74, Princess Anne, 71, The Earl and Countess of Wessex, and Princess Beatrice, 33, and Edoardo Mapelli-Mozzi, 38, all attending.
But the Queen, 96, who has been at every Royal Meeting since acceding to the throne in 1952, apart from when it was held behind closed doors in 2020, missed the first two days, amid her ongoing mobility issues.
As they awaited the potential arrival of the monarch, bookies offered odds on what colours she may be wearing.
According to Ladbrokes, yellow has been chalked up as the 3/1 favourite, attracting the weight of money. Blue is next in the betting at 7/2, while green and pink are 4/1 and 5/1 respectively.
Another racegoer shows off their parasol, which is colour-coordinated with their yellow outfit and perfect for the June sun
Some racegoers opted for practicality, going for lower key, but still stylish, looks. One woman already seemed to have swapped her heels for flats
However, for others, the day offered an opportunity to show off some fashion forward choices, and this lady donned an asymmetric, origami-style hat
Patriotic: British colours including red, white, and blue were the order of the day for this trio, who donned perfectly coordinated outfits
Bucking this year’s trend for rainbow shades, these women showed off their own style, opting for black as the centrepiece of their colour palate
Nicola McGeady of Ladbrokes said: ‘Punters have been hoping that the Queen will make an appearance at Royal Ascot all week and today could be the day as her best chance of the week runs in the Hampton Court Stakes.
‘Its the first time we have seen proper money on the colour of her hat, with money coming for yellow at 3/1.’
Speaking ahead of the day’s races today, which is Gold Cup Day, jockey Frankie Dettori spoke about his experience of winning the cup in previous years, and discussed Her Majesty’s passion for racing.
He said: ‘Today will be emotional.
‘The Gold Cup (4:20pm) is the most prestigious race of the week, and the only one where you get to receive the trophy from The Queen. I’ve been lucky enough to win it eight times and it’s the ultimate feeling really.
‘We’re very lucky to have a monarch who loves racing so much. It’s in her blood, and it doesn’t get much bigger than Her Majesty handing you the Gold Cup.’
Talking about Stradivarius, who he will be riding today, Frankie said: ‘Win, lose or draw on Stradivarius, I’m sure he’ll get a great reception and the send-off he truly deserves on what will be his final run at Ascot.
‘He’s done a tremendous amount for racing, and no matter what happens today he will always be remembered as one of the greatest stayers we’ve ever seen.
‘To be running in the race for a sixth time is absolutely remarkable, not to mention a 12th time at Ascot, and it’s just been so good to have him around.’
Racegoers have returned to Ascot this year, which is back to full throttle after being restricted for the last two years due to the pandemic
And 2022’s event seems to be more colourful than ever, with Ladies Day guests showing off their brightly coloured hats and dresses
Speaking about his other events, he added: ‘I also ride Reach For The Moon (5:35pm) and Saga (5:00pm) for Her Majesty, so it really is the most important day of the week for me.
‘Reach For The Moon has some very good two-year-old form, and his first run back behind My Prospero at Sandown was encouraging.’
He added: ‘Saga’s homework has been very good but he’s yet to translate that to racecourse, so we’ve put some headgear on him in the hope that will help him concentrate a bit more.
‘He’s only had five runs so far so his hopefully yet to show his best, but the Britannia is such a hard race to win with some many lightly-raced three-year-olds.
‘Like Reach For The Moon, Saga’s form ties into the St James’s Palace too as he was clear second to Maljoom at Kempton.
‘As for Franz Strauss in the King George V Stakes (3:05pm), he remains pretty unexposed and will hopefully take a good step forward, but these handicaps are so competitive.’
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