Queen Camilla appeared on the edge of her seat as she attended her first Royal Ascot since her coronation this afternoon.
The royal, 75, looked effortlessly elegant in a cream coat dress, matching hat and gloves for her day at the Berkshire Races.
The mother-of-two arrived in a horse-drawn carriage with her husband King Charles and their friends the Duke and Duchess of Wellington.
After a warm welcome from other members of the Royal Family, the King and Queen made their way to the Royal Box – where they had a prime view of the horse race.
As a lifelong fan of horse racing, Camilla seemed particularly invested in what unfolded on the tracks.
King Charles and Queen Camilla put on an animated display from inside the Royal Box at Ascot this afternoon.
Clutching her binoculars, the Queen appeared to be watching from the sidelines.
King Charles and Queen Camilla were in high spirits as they lovingly greeted members of their family at their first Royal Ascot since the coronation.
The king, 74, wore a traditional gray morning suit for the annual sporting event in Berkshire.
Along with a double-breasted waistcoat, the king was seen carrying a light pink tie, a blue patterned pocket square and a black top hat.
Beneath her smart coat, Camilla wore a white dress with a silver neckline – which offset the Queen Mother shell brooch pinned to the lapel.
The sophisticated royal styled her hair in her signature bouncy blow-dry and opted for a pair of chic dangly pearl earrings.
The couple were joined by other members of the royal family – including Princess Anne, Zara and Mike Tyndall, Princess Beatrice and her husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi and Camilla’s recently widowed sister Annabel Elliott.
Princess Beatrice, 34, looked effortlessly elegant in a midi floral gown with voluminous sleeves by Belula which she paired with a pink silk headband by Juliet Botterill Millinery.
Queen Camilla looked over the edge as she watched the action unfold on the tracks in front of her
Pictured: Queen Camilla clutches her binoculars as she watches the race from the Royal Box
Pictured: Princess Anne was seen waving to guests at Royal Ascot this afternoon
King Charles greets his niece Zara Tindall with an affectionate kiss on the cheek as she arrives at Ascot
Princess Beatrice and her husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi pictured today with Mike and Zara Tindall
Queen Camilla pictured with her son Tom Parker Bowles and her husband King Charles
Royal Ascot, the crown jewel of the UK racing calendar, starts today with the Queen Anne Stakes and runs until Ladies Day on Friday.
Around 300,000 people are set to attend the prestigious event, some of them royalty and world-renowned celebrities.
The day is as much a social occasion as a sporting event and racegoers take the opportunity to turn on the style, from chic hats and summer dresses to sharp suits.
This is the first year the event, a favorite of the late Queen, will go ahead since her death in September.
After her coronation in 1953, the Queen traveled to Berkshire’s racecourse to attend the event at least once a year – and only missed it in 2020 due to the Covid lockdown.
King Charles and Queen Camilla are pictured making their first Royal Ascot arrival since their coronation
Queen Camilla greets Mike Tyndall with a kiss on the cheek as day one of Royal Ascot begins
The couple were seen arriving at the event in a horse-drawn carriage with the Duke and Duchess of Wellington
Princess Beatrice and her husband Edoardo Mapelli pictured at Royal Ascot this afternoon
Queen Camilla looked sophisticated in a cream dress coat and matching hat and gloves
Princess Beatrice smiles as she talks to another male guest at Royal Ascot this afternoon
Zara Tindall appeared in high spirits as she attended Royal Ascot with her family this afternoon
Pictured: Queen Camilla’s sister Lady Annabelle Elliott is seen arriving at Ascot with her son Sir Ben Elliott
King Charles and Queen Camilla are seen looking out over the racecourse after arriving in a horse-drawn carriage
They are heirs! Charles and Camilla pictured in the Royal Box at Ascot this afternoon
King Charles and Queen Camilla are seen after leaving the car and heading to the royal box
Queen Camilla’s coat features some pleating around the dress and additional silver embellishments
Princess Anne wore a beautiful teal coat dress and hat for the occasion. Image: The royal follows Charles and Camilla in another car
The Princess Royal styled her hair in an elegant updo and wore a pretty pink lipstick for her first Royal Ascot appearance without her late mother.
Princess Anne arrives at Royal Ascot with Queen Camilla’s sister Lady Annabelle Elliott, Sir Ben Elliott and his wife Lady Marie-Claire
Pictured: King Charles wore a gray morning suit and black top hat for Ascot while Camilla looked elegant in a cream coat dress
Stylish onlookers Zara and Mike Tindall pictured on day one of Royal Ascot this afternoon
The King’s niece wore a £660 Cecilia pale green floral midi dress by Leo Lin for the occasion, matching the look with a chic straw boater with pink ribbon.
Meanwhile, former England rugby star Mike, 44, opted for traditional attire, wearing a top hat and tails, waistcoat and pinstripe trousers – and had a cream rose on his lapel.
The Duke of Kent was asked to replace the Queen in the royal procession at last year’s event, which took place just three months before her death.
To mark the first Ascot since her death, organizers have displayed a heartwarming collection of photos of the Queen visiting Ascot over the years.
This includes a black-and-white photo of him riding the royal track in 1960 when he was 34 years old.
What’s more, the organizers also selected an image of the Queen in light on Ladies’ Day in 2013.
The event turned out to be one of the Queen’s most successful Ascots as her horse won the Esteem Gold Cup – making her the first monarch to win the award in 200 years.
The late royal was pictured admiring her trophy, which was presented to her by her son Prince Andrew.
The full Ascot tribute, written by royal photographer Chris Jackson, reads: ‘Queen Elizabeth II loved Ascot. Ascot loved Queen Elizabeth.
King and Queen Camilla offer a wave to the crowd at Trooping the Color on Saturday
The joint cipher design is similar to Queen Camilla’s own cipher but adds an additional swirling C to represent the King.
‘For more than 70 years of Queen Elizabeth’s reign, Ascot has been central to the late monarch’s life, a highlight of the summer season that saw her late majesty at her happiest among crowds of adoring racegoers and among the world’s most beautiful. racing horse
‘For someone who got her first horse Peggy, a gift at the age of four, racing and breeding became the love of her life.
‘The late Queen rode into her 90s and was an accomplished horsewoman who in later years found great joy in being around her wonderful and much-loved horses.’
After the Queen’s death last September, Ascot described Her Majesty as the sport’s ‘greatest supporter’.
They wrote in a poignant statement: ‘The nation mourns the loss of a much-loved and respected King. The world of racing has lost one of its greatest supporters.
‘At Ascot we are fortunate to have many memories of Her Majesty the Queen on this racecourse, including some wonderful victories in royal colours.
‘We extend our deepest sympathies to His Majesty the King and the entire Royal Family.’
What’s more, the event also named an event in honor of the Queen. The Platinum Jubilee Stakes, a six-furlong sprint staged on the Saturday of Ascot’s five-day meeting, will henceforth be known as the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes.
Following the coronation of King Charles, racecards now carry a new cipher, replacing the late Queen’s official royal symbol with a joint symbol to reflect both the King and Queen.
A tribute to Ascot, written by royal photographer Chris Jackson, read: ‘Queen Elizabeth II loved Ascot. Ascot loved Queen Elizabeth.’
Left: The Queen riding the track at Royal Ascot in 1960 Right: The Queen with a trophy after her horse Estimate won the Gold Cup on Ladies Day at Royal Ascot in 2013
On social media, Royal Ascot shared a picture of the new look, writing: ‘We are delighted to unveil the cover of the racecard for the opening day of Royal Ascot 2023, which displays for the first time the joint cipher of Their Majesties the King and Queen.’
Both king and queen have separate ciphers. The joint cipher is more similar in design to Queen Camilla’s own symbol but adds an additional swirling C to represent the King.
Queen Elizabeth II was a keen racehorse with 24 winners in total, her final victory coming strategically three years ago in the Windsor Castle Stakes.
Choir Boy took home his first winner during the 1953 Royal Hunt Cup, which took place the same week as Her Majesty’s coronation at Westminster Abbey.
Royal Ascot 2023 will run from Tuesday 20th June to Saturday 24th June.
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