Charles and Camilla become King and Queen of Ascot
Hats off to the royal pair who made their first Ascot their own
It was always the late Queen’s favourite occasion – as Royal Ascot kicks off the summer calendar and punters bet on the colour of the monarch’s hat. So, Charles and Camilla could not fail to feel the poignancy of their first race meeting without the Queen, cheering on her horses.
But the new monarchs got off to a flying start as they romped to victory on Thursday. The King was reduced to tears as he watched one of his mother’s horses win and even knocked over the trophy in his excitement. Desert Hero was bred by the late Queen and won a thrilling race in the King George V Stakes.
Zara Tindall said it was a bittersweet moment for the family because everyone was thinking “how proud and excited our grandmother, the Queen, would have been.
“But to have a winner for Charles and Camilla, and keep that dream alive, was incredible,” she said.
As for Camilla, she also faced the dilemma of what to wear – should she continue the tradition of brightly-coloured clothes and matching hat the late monarch so loved, which in turn sparked a lively round of betting? The punting was taken so seriously, the Queen’s dresser Angela Kelly used to have to hide her hats and place fake ones on display to throw tipsters off.
The answer was no – instead Queen Camilla went for a cream hat by Philip Treacy on the first day, looking sophisticated in a matching coat and dress by Dior – who seem to be dressing more and more Royal Family members, lately. Prince Harry’s Coronation suit was also by Dior. She made a touching gesture, by accessorising it with The Courtauld Thomson diamond brooch first given to the Queen Mother and then passed on to the Queen. Gifted to the family by artist Winifred Hope Thomson, it came with the hope it would be “passed from Queen to Queen of England”.
The Princess of Wales looked impeccable in red Alexander McQueen on Friday, but the winner of fashions on the field, in our opinion, was Zara, who has looked absolutely beautiful all week. We especially loved her £1,800 cream lace Scanlan Theodore dress and Aspinal hat. The Australian clothes brand will no doubt receive a huge boost from her endorsement. On Wednesday, Zara rocked a blue wrap-over Laura Green dress and fabulous green hat by Juliette Millinery.
And special mention to Princess Anne – who came top of a YouGov poll this week in popularity – for wearing a blue dress and white jacket on day two which she first wore in the 1970s. Oh how we love her.
William packs a surprise for the Lionesses
The committed footie fan prince (and FA president) paid a surprise visit to England’s Lionesses at their St George’s National Football Centre. And he even won a game of table football.
On Tuesday, a month ahead of the Women’s World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023, kicking off 20 July, the Prince of Wales left manager Sarina Wiegman “flabbergasted” when he presented her with a CBE. The Dutch national received an honorary CBE after England won the Woman’s European Championship last year.
Playing table football with stars Milie Bright, Mary Earps and Rachel Daly, he scored his winner against Millie, “We will take that!” he said.
Sarina said about William: “He’s a big fan of ours and he knows a lot about the game and the players. He comes very informally and he wants to know how we all are. It’s just very nice when he comes by.”
As William prepares to launch his life-defining homelessness project, reports suggest this new project will define the future of modern monarchy tackling one of the biggest problems facing the UK today. It’s a mark of our King-to-be, that one day after celebrating his 41s birthday, he praised the Windrush generation saying Britain will be “forever grateful”.
Kate reopens the National Portrait Gallery
She’s got a ticket to… laugh with a Beatle and declare a much-loved UK art gallery open for business again.
Looking picture perfect in an appropriate label for the day: Self Portrait, her 2-in1 dress ingeniously looked like a jacket and skirt. Catherine, Princess of Wales, as patron, attended Tuesday’s re-opening ceremony of the National Portrait Gallery following a three-year refurbishment.
During the visit Catherine met Sir Paul McCartney and his wife, Nancy. The Beatle legend has his own photography exhibition, Eyes of the Storm, opening at the gallery this Wednesday until 1 October, showing The Beatles during 1963-4. Book tickets here. Catherine was greeted on arrival by artist Tracey Emin, who had created panels etched with the faces of 45 women on the gallery’s new bronze doors.
On Saturday, a video was released of the tennis-loving princess (patron of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club) playing against Roger Federer. Ahead of Wimbledon starting on Monday 3 July, the pair’s film highlights the crucial role played by the 250 ball girls and boys at the championships.
The King’s busy week at Windsor
It’s been a packed week for the King and Queen. They kicked off events with the historic Order of the Garter Service and Procession at St George’s Chapel in Windsor on Monday – the first service with Charles as King.
Our sister newsletter The British Travel List, toured Windsor Castle earlier this year and one of the most interesting rooms is the one used for the heraldic occasion. We noted with sadness that the Queen’s portrait would now have to move one place down, to make room for a new Sovereign of ‘The Order of the Garter’. Read about the history behind the event, here.
Charles also marked Windrush Day, attending a service at Windsor on Thursday and recording a heartfelt message. “Today offers an opportunity to express the debt of gratitude we owe to that first Windrush generation for accepting the invitation to come to Britain and, above all, to recognise the immeasurable difference that they, their children and their grandchildren, have made to so many aspects of our public life, to our culture and to every sector of our economy,” he said.
Diana’s heavenly birthday
Diana, Princess of Wales would have been celebrating her 62th birthday this Saturday, if fate had played her a different hand.
Born 1 July, 1961 in Park House, on the Sandringham estate. She became Lady Diana Spencer in 1975 when her father inherited the title Earl Spencer and moved the family into Althorp, the Spencer’s magnificent ancestral home in Northamptonshire. Althorp is famously the Princess’s final resting place and the home and grounds are open from 3 July to 31 August (the date of Diana’s death). Buy tickets here.