Stylish racegoers put their best fashion foot forward as they arrived for the second day of Royal Ascot today.
Glamorous women put on chic displays in bright pink dresses while men looked dapper in top hats and tails as they arrived at the Berkshire racecourse for a day of fun in the sun.
As ever, extravagant millinery stole the show, with many revellers commanding attention in vibrant creations adorned with feathers, flowers and lace.
Radiant guests also oozed glamour in flowing maxi dresses, floral prints and figure-hugging numbers as they stepped out for the second day of action at the prestigious festival.
Pink seemed to be a theme of the day, with many racegoers opting for fuchsia and rose outfits for day two of the festival.
Ascot, known as the jewel in the crown of the UK racing calendar, will welcome hundreds of thousands of punters during the five-day meet.
Many are likely hoping to catch a glimpse of the Royal Family as they turn out in force for the annual occasion.
Yesterday, the King and Queen enjoyed a day at the races as they welcomed the girlfriend of the Princess Royal’s son to the royal fold.
Charles and Camilla hosted guests in the royal box on the first day of Royal Ascot including the monarch’s nephew Peter Phillips and his partner, NHS nurse Harriet Sperling.
She made an appearance for the first time in the carriage procession the royal family make onto the famous Berkshire racecourse to signal the start of the day.
Today, the King and Queen led the royals once more, accompanied by the Prince of Wales after Kate pulled out at the last minute.
Racegoers had been hoping to see Kate as William was named as one of the figures awarding race prizes during the second day of the meet.
Ascot officials had announced at 12pm that the Princess was due to be in the second carriage in the royal procession with William, in a published carriage list.
But less than half an hour later, Kensington Palace confirmed just before 12.30pm that Kate would not be attending – and a revised carriage list was published by Ascot.
MailOnline understands the Princess was ‘disappointed’ not to be in attendance ‘but she has to find the right balance as she fully returns to public facing engagements’.
However, Kate’s mother Carole Middleton did attend today – alongside her daughter-in-law Alizee Thevenet, the wife of Kate’s brother James Middleton.
The King also hosted Lady Sarah Chatto, the daughter of his late aunt Princess Margaret and a favourite of the late Queen Elizabeth II. She was joined on the fourth carriage with her artist husband, Daniel Chatto.
The King and Queen, both fans of racing, were also joined by the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester.
The royal procession is celebrating its 200th anniversary, a tradition begun during the reign of George IV in 1825 when the monarch was accompanied by the Duke of Wellington.
The King and his wife have continued Queen Elizabeth II’s close association with the Berkshire race meet but they had no luck with the sport of Kings when their horse Reaching High was well beaten in the Ascot Stakes.
The late Queen was a passionate owner and breeder of thoroughbreds and had more than 20 Royal Ascot winners during her 70-year reign.
Charles and Camilla have taken on her stable of horses and enjoyed their first Royal Ascot winner in 2023 when their horse Desert Hero triumphed in the King George V Stakes.
Today’s racing, meanwhile, will feature the The Prince of Wales’s Stakes as one of its highlights.
First run at Royal Ascot in 1862, the race, named after the son of Queen Victoria (later to become King Edward VII), is now worth £1million in prize money and is one of the features of the week.
Auguste Rodin produced a career best performance to win last year’s Prince of Wales’s Stakes, highlighting the perfect blend of speed and stamina needed to win a race of this magnitude.
Three horses have won this race on two occasions, Connaught, (1969, 1970) Mtoto (1987, 1988) and Muhtarram (1994, 1995).
Older horses tend to struggle in this race, with only two six-year-old horses winning since 1995: Muhtarram (1995) and So You Think (2012).
Elsewhere, The Queen Mary Stakes, The Queen’s Vase and The Duke of Cambridge Stakes provide a trio of Group 2 races to savour before the Royal Hunt Cup, The Windsor Castle Stakes and the Kensington Palace Stakes conclude the second day of racing.
Over £10 million in prize money is awarded to the winners and placed horses across the week.
The minimum value for each race is £110,000 and every Group 1 contest will be rewarded with at least £650,000.
