This year, I attended Royal Ascot on Tuesday 18th June. Royal Ascot is a highlight of the British Social Calendar and is a yearly event, taking place this year from 18th to 22nd June. Ascot Racecourse is a prestigious venue, 13 of Britain's 36 annual Group 1 horse races are held there. The Queen is known to have a passion for horses and horse racing, and attends every day of the 5 day event of Royal Ascot. Her Majesty has her own racing manager, John Warren, who helps manage her own horses, and explains to her the finer details of each horse and race. Ascot Racecourse plays host to this special event that sees the best in the horse racing world come together for five days of races, but also celebration, royal processions, good food and drink, a time to socialise, and songs around the Bandstand. The day’s consist of the royal procession at 2pm, where open carriages carry members of the royal family with their guests to the Royal Enclosure, and then six world-class races are held every afternoon. Each day ends with communal singing around the Bandstand.
There are a range of enclosures that members of the public can buy tickets for. The Village Enclosure, The Windsor Enclosure, and The Queen Anne Enclosure (where I was). The Royal Enclosure is the top enclosure (obviously!) and is by invitation only. But from where I was in The Queen Anne Enclosure, I could see the Royal Enclosure. Picnics may be taken into the lower two enclosures, and there are a range of places to eat and drink in each enclosure. Each enclosure has a dress code. Fashion is almost as synonymous with Royal Ascot as horses are; Ladies Day is a highlight for fashion, held this year on Thursday 20th June. The dress code for my enclosure, The Queen Anne Enclosure, was, “Ladies within the Queen Anne Enclosure are required to dress in a manner as befits a formal occasion and are kindly asked to take note of the following: A hat, headpiece or fascinator should be worn at all times. Strapless and sheer dresses and tops are not permitted. Please note our definition of strapless necklines include off-the-shoulder, Bardot and one shoulder. Trouser suits must be full-length and jumpsuits should fall below the knee. Both must adhere to the neckline regulations above. Midriffs must be covered. Shorts are not permitted.Gentlemen are required to wear a full-length suit with a collared shirt and tie, and kindly asked to take note of the following: Jackets and trousers should be of matching colour and pattern. A tie should be worn at all times. Bow ties and cravats are not permitted. Socks must be worn and should cover the ankle.Jeans, chinos and trainers are not permitted. Overseas visitors are welcome to wear the formal National Dress of their country or Service Dress. Serving military personnel are welcome to wear Service Dress or equivalent. Please note: In addition to the guidance above, fancy dress, novelty and branded or promotional clothing is not permitted on site.” The Royal Enclosure has a stricter dress code.
The gates open at 10:30am, but as the races do not start until 2:30pm, many racegoers do not arrive until later. There are a selection of bars, and tea and coffee stations, throughout the indoor section and lawns of the Queen Anne and Royal Enclosures, and food trucks and stalls as well. There are also a few sit down restaurants offering fine dining. This is where I had lunch, at the Queen Anne Kitchen by James Tanner, with a glass of rosé wine. The food was truly fine. Afterwards we assembled with those from the Queen Anne and Royal Enclosure, around the Parade Ring. At 2:00pm the Royal Procession started. The carriages used were the traditional Ascot Landau’s. There were 4 carriages in the procession on the first day of Royal Ascot, with outriders, and postilion riders. Not all of the horses used were the traditional Windsor Grey’s, which surprised me. They travel from Windsor Castle, down the straight mile of the track, and into the parade ring. Before they enter the parade ring, the National Anthem plays, and all men, including those in the carriages, remove their Top Hats. The carriages went around and then stopped in front of us. Each carriage is pulled by 4 horses. The first carriage held the Queen, Duke of York, and the King and Queen of the Netherlands. The second held the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall, with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. The third held Princess Anne, the Earl and Countess of Wessex, and Lord de Maulay. The fourth carriage held Princess Beatrice, Princess Eugenie, and Jack Brooksbank. The royals got out of their carriages and were joined in the parade ring by the Duke of Kent and his family, and Zara Tindall with her husband Mike Tindall. The royals spent time chatting to each other, and the other guests who had joined them. The carriages left the parade ring, with the riders performing their unique salute with their whips. As the first race started, the royals went inside to their royal box. Some of the lesser royals such as the Duke of Kent and Zara Tindall did not use the lift that the other royals used, but walked through the crowds and up the escalators! I was very close to the Kent family.
Each race follows this routine:
The owners/breeders/trainers of the horses in that race enter the parade ring
The horses are paraded round with their numbers on their coats
The bell rings and the jockey’s mount, each wearing different colours
Everyone leaves the parade ring
The jockeys enter the track and warm up
The horses get into the starting gate. The race begins!!
The horses cross the finish line
The top four placing horses enter back into the parade ring, and are kept moving to avoid cramp. Some have buckets of cold water thrown on them to cool them down, and I saw them steaming!
The horse that places first is in the winners circle section of the parade ring. Owners/breeders/trainers are also in the parade ring.
The horses leave
Trophies are presented to the owner, trainer and jockey
The process starts for the next race!!!
The races that took place on the day I was there were:
02:30 PM The Queen Anne Stakes (Group 1)
03:05 PM The Coventry Stakes (Group 2)
03:40 PM The King’s Stand Stakes (Group 1)
04:20 PM The St James’s Palace Stakes (Group 1)
05:00 PM The Ascot Stakes (Handicap)
05:35 PM The Wolferton Rated Stakes (Listed)
Some races are sprints, and others are longer. Different aged horses compete in different races, and some horses were British, some Irish, and some American. There were details in the official programme of the parents of the horses, their breeders, owners, trainers, jockeys, and info about their past records and predictions of how well they would do. It also had pictures of their jockey’s colours.
The trophies for race 3 were presented by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. The trophies for race 5, according to the programme, were due to be presented by Princess Alexandra, but in the end they were presented by the Earl and Countess of Wessex. The other trophies were presented by representatives of the companies that sponsor Royal Ascot, and ambassadors to the UK from other countries. I loved watching the races, and the atmosphere was excellent! A truly British experience. Seeing the royal family interact together just like any other family was also a great experience. We kept moving between the parade ring, and the track. Some races we watched from the track side, and the thundering of the horses as they whipped past right in front of us was exhilarating, especially the sprints! Other races we watched from the stands, as we got a better overall view as they went around the track. The royals watched from their box the whole time I was there, but I understand that if it’s better weather, they sometimes watch from the lawn of the Royal Enclosure.
The Queen left after the last race. We then joined racegoers to sing 26 songs around the bandstand, led by the band of the Coldstream Guards. We sang traditional British patriotic songs, 60’s ballads, and wartime songs. Free Union Flags to wave were issued with songbooks. All in all a very patriotic and fun day!
The royal family members that attended Royal Ascot were:
Day One: The Queen, Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall, Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince Andrew and Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, Princess Anne, Zara and Mike Tindall, the Earl and Countess of Wessex, and Duke of Kent. The King and Queen of the Netherlands were also there, as were other members of the Kent family, including Lord Nicholas Windsor.
Day Two: The Queen, Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall, Earl and Countess of Wessex, and Prince and Princess Michael of Kent.
Day Three (Ladies Day): The Queen, Duke of York, Princess Eugenie, Princess Anne, Vice-Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence, Zara and Mike Tindall, and Peter and Autumn Phillips. Lady Gabriella Windsor was also in attendance.
Day Four: The Queen, Peter Phillips, Lady Helen (daughter of the Duke of Kent) and Timothy Taylor, and the Duke of York. The Duchess of York attended also.
Day Five: The Queen, the Duke of York and Peter and Autumn Phillips.
On day two of Royal Ascot, the Queen’s horses, Seniority and Elector, competed. On day three it was Eightsome Reel, whilst day four saw Magnetic Charm and Sextant compete. Her first Royal Ascot victory was in the Royal Hunt Cup won by her horse Choir Boy in 1953, while her last was three years ago when Dartmouth triumphed in the Hardwicke Stakes, the monarch's 23rd winner at the event. In 2013 she became the first monarch to win Royal Ascot’s Gold Cup.
Day two of Royal Ascot saw Viscount and Viscountess Brookeborough, Countess Mountbatten of Burma, Sir Mark Prescott Bt., Lord and Lady de Mauley, and Lieutenant Colonel Charles Richards, join the royals in their carriages for the procession. The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall presented a trophy on day two.
Day three of Royal Ascot was Ladies Day, and the royals certainly stepped up to the occasion! They were accompanied in their carriages by Viscount and Viscountess Brookeborough, and James Fellowes. Princess Eugenie wore a teal coloured dress and hat. Princess Anne and Zara Phillips both went for blue, whilst Autumn Phillips opted for a white and pink floral ensemble. The Countess of Wessex went for a navy blue jumpsuit, and she did carry it off rather well! Even the younger royals haven’t opted for jumpsuits at Royal Ascot before, but Sophie is firmly cemented into her stable position in both the royal family and the fashion world, so probably felt she could push the boat out for ladies day! She has worn a jumpsuit previously to Royal Ascot. I think Princess Anne wore her best look on day three. The Queen, I think, acknowledged the fact that it was Ladies Day in the choice of colour she wore, being an unusual shade of lilac/metal grey, that suited her very well, but she still kept to her signature style of matching hat, dress, and dress coat. The Queen and Princess Eugenie both made trophy presentations on day three.
Day four saw Lady Alexandra Etherington and Mark Etherington, John Warren (the Queen's racing manager) and his wife Carolyn, William and Violet Vestey, Luca and Sara Cumani, Major Nana Twumasi-Ankrah (the Queen's Equerry), Major General Ben Bathurst and his wife, and Dame Annabel Whitehead (the Queen's lady-in-waiting) ride in the carriage procession.
On the fifth and final day of Royal Ascot, those who joined the royals in the carriage procession were John Warren, William Vestey, General Sir Adrian Bradshaw and Lady Bradshaw, Sir Peter Vela and Lady Veal, Ben and Sara Case, Clive and Pippa Webb-Carter, Mark and Lady Alexandra Ethrington, and Chris and Stephanie Waller.
Ascot Racecourse was founded in 1711 by Queen Anne, to pursue her love of horse racing. Although only monarch for 12 years, she left her mark on her nation, and Ascot Racecourse was one of those marks. It is conveniently close to Windsor Castle. Whilst out in her carriage in Windsor forest, Queen Anne came across a clearing that looked perfect for horse racing. The Queen bought it and asked for it to be made ready for horse racing. Later that year, the first race, ‘Her Majesty’s Plate,’ took place. The next monarch George I despised sports so Ascot fell out of favour. But in 1720 racing returned to Ascot, rising to become one of Britain’s most famous racing venues. In 1825 George IV instigated the royal procession.
To conclude, I think that Royal Ascot 2019 went well. Despite the rainy weather, the atmosphere was full of excitement, and that truly British attitude of, ‘we will carry on despite the weather!’ I think the best dressed royal was the Duchess of Cambridge on day one, but I liked how the Countess of Wessex pushed the boat out on ladies day with her jumpsuit. The Queen looked happy and healthy, and was always well dressed. The actual racing was thrilling, and the horses so beautiful. I thoroughly enjoyed my day at Royal Ascot, and seeing all the royals come together. Britain has so much that nobody else has. The, ‘Royal,’ in Royal Ascot is something unique to the event, and to Britain. Long may it continue.
Below is our gallery of Royal Ascot Day One, when I attended. These are the photographs I took of the Royal Procession, and the trophy presentation by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.
Comments