The Princess of Wales enjoyed the festivities on the penultimate day of Royal Ascot 2023 as she enjoyed the company of other royals and famous faces – and even gave her husband a cheeky tap on the bottom. Looking stunning in a scarlet Alexander McQueen dress, Kate, 41, engaged in a little act of PDA with her husband – who also turned 41 earlier this week – at the Berkshire racecourse.
Elsewhere, Kate enjoyed chats with her royal relatives including the Duchess of Edinburgh, 58, and also other famous faces including Dame Judi Dench.
As the Prince and Princess of Wales arrived at the racecourse today, Kate stunned in the McQueen frock, which had a plunging yet conservative neckline, statement shoulders and an A-line shape, paired with a Philip Treacy hat in a matching shade.
The mother-of-three tied her hair back into a sleek bun and opted for fabulous statement gold earrings from Sézane, which she has worn before.
As she looked elegant in the A-line red frock, the mother-of-three paired her dress with a red clutch bag from Hermes and red suede pumps.
Joining the Prince and Princess of Wales in the second carriage in the royal procession was Princess Beatrice, 34, and her husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, 39.
The foursome arrived in the second carriage in the procession, which followed King Charles and Queen Camilla with the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire.
As the Princess opted for the scarlet frock, she deviated from previous Ascot looks, where she has typically opted for pastel colours in more muted tones.
While the action got underway on the racecourse, the Princess of Wales could be seen reading through the programmes for the day as she and William looked to pick up some tips.
Kate was also pictured chatting intently with Dame Judi Dench in the royal box, who herself looked stunning in a pale pink dress.
The Princess and her royal relative, Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, shared sweet moments as they laughed together while watching the action unfold on the course – while Kate was spotted giving the Duchess a thumbs up as she celebrated a win on the horse she had backed.
After joining Prince and Princess Michael of Kent in the carriage procession, the mother-of-two, dressed in a pastel pink dress with a matching tulle fascinator, celebrated her horse winning a race.
Sophie appeared to place a bet on Porta Fortuna, who registered an impressive success in the Albany Stakes to provide Frankie Dettori with his 80th Royal Ascot win. Looking down at a her betting slip the royal looked delighted as she pumped her fist in celebration, while niece-in-law Kate Middleton looked delighted for her, giving her a thumbs up.
Today is the first time William and Kate have attended the event since the death of the Queen in September – who was often dubbed Royal Ascot’s ‘biggest fan’.
During her 70-year reign, Her late Majesty attended almost every single Royal Ascot festival, with the exception of last year where she couldn’t attend due to mobility issues. The king has a horse racing today, yesterday he shed a tear when he secured his first ever Ascot win.
The royal couple were overcome with emotion as they watched their horse Desert Hero win the King George V race from the royal box, after two losses.
Throughout the week Princess Anne, Princess Beatrice and Mike and Zara Tindall have also been spotted enjoying the races.
The King’s cousins – Earl Snowdon and Sarah Chatto – also joined the royal procession yesterday.
Elsewhere, many revellers donned their finery to celebrate in the glorious June sun.
High heels and fascinators were a common theme with guests, who opted for colourful dresses and full glamour.
Many female racegoers opted to make the most of the relaxed rules – which allows people to dress from the male or female dress code regardless of their gender – opting for bright trouser suits. Last night revellers looked worse for wear this evening as they left the Berkshire racecourse after hours of partying.
Earlier in the day, glamorous guests had dressed themselves up to the nines to attend the event, which is considered to be the crown jewel in the racing calendar.
While its competitors Cheltenham, Epsom and Aintree have ditched their dress codes, Ascot still has a fairly strict clothing policy. Having made it past security in high heels this morning, racegoers were pictured giving their feet a break as they left the premises in flip flops.
David Armstrong-Jones, Viscount Linely, also known as Earl Snowdon, is the son of the late Princess Margaret and Antony Armstrong-Jones, 1st Earl of Snowdon.
His sister, Lady Sarah Chatto and her husband Daniel Chatto joined the procession too, alongside Lord Nicolas Soames, a former Conservative MP and grandson of Winston Churchill.
Camilla’s family – including her sister, ex sister-in-law and ex-husband have also been spotted at the races.
This year, organisers have displayed a heart-warming collection of photos of the Queen visiting Ascot over the years. They include a black-and-white photo of the royal riding on the tracks in 1960 when she was 34 years old. The mother-of-four was pictured with a headscarf and riding boots on as her horse galloped along the track. The Queen was taking part in an unofficial race with other members of her royal party and ended up finishing fourth.
What’s more, the organisers also selecting a photograph of the Queen beaming at Ladies Day in 2013. The event turned out to be one of the Queen’s most successful Ascots as her horse Estimate won the Gold Cup – making her the first monarch in 200 years to scoop the prize.