The Firm once again descended on Royal Ascot on Thursday amid soaring 32C temperatures.
Members of the royal family – including Peter Phillips and his new girlfriend Harriet Sperling – appeared not to break a sweat on the racecourse despite scorching temperatures during Ladies Day at the Berkshire Races.
King Charles, 76, sat next to Queen Camilla, 77, in the first carriage as it travelled past packed stands – although there was once again no sign of the Princess of Wales, who withdrew from yesterday’s events at the last minute.
There were no less than 10 members of the royal family in today’s official procession, keeping their cool after the UK was put on an amber heat health alert for the first time since September 2023.
But as the mercury soared well into the 30s, some racegoers began to fall ill in the baking heat.
According to the BBC, a spokesperson for the event said one person was taken to hospital, while 42 more received treatment on site.
With 41,000 spectators attending yesterday alone, staff have been giving out free water, while installing additional gazebos and parasols.
Today, Peter Phillips was once again joined by his NHS girlfriend Harriet Sperling – after they joined the official carriage procession on Tuesday – and the couple were seen holding hands and even shared a smooch in the royal enclosure.
Today, Harriet, 45, looked radiant once again in a gorgeous yellow ensemble, adding a matching fascinator with a bow – in a display truly fit for royalty.
Peter, 47, who is King Charles’s nephew and the son of Princess Anne, has been dating Harriet for over a year, after breaking up with his previous partner of three-years, Lindsay Wallace.
The duo seemed sweetly loved-up as they held hands, while Peter even matched his tie to the butter yellow shade of Harriet’s dress.
Following the procession, Harriet was seen in conversation with a very amused King Charles – yet another indication that she’s been granted the royal sign of approval.
In sweltering temperatures spectators swept into the famous Berkshire racecourse before the feature race of the week, the Gold Cup, with the winning jockey and trainer receiving their prizes from the King and Queen.
In the second carriage today was the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh as well as Princess Anne, 74, and her husband Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence.
Charles’s stylish nieces Zara Tindall, 44, and her husband Mike, 46, as well as Princess Beatrice, the daughter of Prince Andrew, and her husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi featured in the third and fourth carriage.
Zara herself looked glamorous in a monochrome Laura Green shirt dress, which she teamed with an elegant hat.
She added the £595 Mulberry Amberley Clutch in black, pairing perfectly with the black accents of her ensemble.
Meanwhile Princess Beatrice had also opted for bright shades of yellow for Ladies’ Day as she stunned in Monique Lhuillier – adding a crystal beret by Justine Bradley-Hill.
And Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, opted for Suzannah London, donning a silk tea dress with a green leaf pattern, adding a Radley bag and Jane Taylor hat to accessorise.
Queen Camilla was today wearing a silvery blue coat dress by Anna Valentine, a hat by Philip Treacy, with the Jardine Star diamond brooch.
In a sign of changing times, the Marchioness of Salisbury, who had joined the King in his carriage, was even seen with her phone out, appearing to take pictures to capture the moment as the procession arrived.
The royal procession is celebrating its 200th anniversary, a tradition which began during the reign of George IV in 1825 when the monarch was accompanied by the Duke of Wellington.
His Majesty’s appearance today comes after Princess of Wales sparked concern as she pulled out of attending the festival yesterday, apparently at the last minute.
But royal sources insisted there was nothing to worry about and that it was simply a case of crossed wires.
Aides also stressed that Catherine was continuing to ‘balance her return to public life’ following her cancer diagnosis last year, after which she made clear that she would resume her duties with a slow and measured approach.
The mini-drama came as her husband, Prince William, handed out the prize for the Prince of Wales stakes at the racecourse in Berkshire.
Executives at Ascot had expected the princess to join him, travelling down in the carriage procession from Windsor Castle with King Charles and Queen Camilla.
At 12pm they issued the procession list for the day, featuring the Prince and Princess of Wales in the second carriage after the King and Queen.
But 22 minutes later, guidance was issued which said Catherine would not be attending. It is understood an ‘inaccurate version’ of the list was ‘issued in error’.
An updated list was circulated and Lord Soames – a good friend of the King – lost his seat to make way for William in the first carriage with Charles and Camilla.
They were also joined by Saudi’s Prince Saud bin Khalid Al-Saud.
Sources stressed there was ‘no cause for alarm’ and Catherine was following guidance palace aides have always given: that she would ‘balance her return to public duties’, following appearances at Trooping the Colour on Saturday and Monday’s Order of the Garter service.
They added that she was ‘disappointed’ not to attend but ‘has to find the right balance’.
Catherine, 43, had abdominal surgery last January, after which she was told cancer had been present, forcing her to undergo preventive chemotherapy.
At the beginning of this year she revealed she was in remission and would begin a slow and measured return to royal life.
The invitation for Peter and Harriet to join the prestigious procession on Tuesday can be seen as a seal of approval from the King and a very high honour.
According to royal reporter Ian Lloyd, the late Queen Elizabeth didn’t include royal girlfriends in the procession unless they were engaged.
Last year, the couple packed on the PDA before meeting with the King and Queen, embarking on their new romance just weeks after his split from Lindsay.
The smitten pair have since attended an array of high society events together, including Wimbledon and the Badminton Horse Trials – as well as Cheltenham Races in January.
According to an online bio, Peter’s girlfriend Harriet lives in Gloucestershire and works as a Paediatric Nurse Specialist for the NHS.
She is ‘passionate about early brain development in babies and seeing children thrive,’ the bio notes.
The pediatric nurse is related to the Duke of Gloucester through her late father, The Telegraph reported previously.
But her curious family ties do not stop there, as the paper also revealed that Harriet’s second cousin once removed is Christopher Courage, 61, a descendant of the Courage Brewery’s founder John Courage.
While no information is available about her ex-husband, Harriet has a daughter, thought to be around the same age as Peter’s girls, Savannah, 14, and Isla, 12, whom he shares with ex-wife, Autumn.
Peter and Autumn ended their 13-year marriage with a divorce in 2020, but continue to co-parent their daughters.
Yesterday, the Princess of Wales’s mother Carole Middleton also attended, alongside her daughter-in-law Alizee Thevenet, the wife of Kate’s brother James Middleton.
The King hosted Lady Sarah Chatto, the daughter of his late aunt Princess Margaret and a favourite of the late Queen.
She was joined on the fourth carriage by her artist husband Daniel Chatto. Also in the procession were the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, who sat in the second carriage.
The royal procession is celebrating its 200th anniversary, a tradition begun in 1825 when George IV was accompanied by the Duke of Wellington.
The King and his wife have continued Queen Elizabeth’s close association with the Berkshire race meet, but they had no luck when their horse Reaching High was beaten in the Ascot Stakes.
The late Queen was a passionate owner of thoroughbreds and had more than 20 Royal Ascot winners during her 70-year reign.
