Hats off for Royal Ascot!
But what happened to Kate?
We may no longer be betting on the shade of the Queen’s hat, but Royal Ascot is still ablaze with colour, as royals and revellers flock to the social event which kicks off summer. It was frocks-galore this week, as everyone tried to keep cool, whilst looking chic, in the heatwave.
Royal Ascot is celebrating 200 years as the royal procession began in 1825, with King George IV. But it goes back longer than that as it first established royal links in 1711, thanks to Queen Anne’s vision of a good site for horses to “gallop at full stretch” and The Gold Cup began in 1807. Now it’s very much a fixture on the royal calendar – it used to be the late Queen’s favourite occasion.
The races began on Tuesday and the King and Queen were in attendance all week, joined by other members of the family, including Prince William, Princess Anne, Zara Tindall and Princess Beatrice. It was expected Catherine would attend on Wednesday, as her name had been printed in the programme, but she did not turn up, much to the confusion of spectators. So what happened? According to Kensington Palace, there had been “a miscommunication”. A spokesperson told The Mirror, “We notified Ascot that Her Royal Highness would not be attending. Unfortunately, an inaccurate version of the carriage list was issued in error after that notification. The correct list was then circulated.” William instead hung out with Kate’s mum Carole, who looked chic in a yellow lace dress from Me + Em.
Despite Kate’s absence, there were plenty of pretty frocks for us to admire. Our favourites included:
Prince Beatrice’s pink gingham top and skirt by Beulah London she wore on Tuesday and yellow Monique Lhuillier dress she sported on Thursday
Zara’s blue Rebecca Vallance dress and pink Sarah Cant hat she wore on Tuesday and chic navy and white Laura Green dress she wore on Thursday.
Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh’s white Suzannah London dress on Tuesday and green floral dress by the same designer, on Thursday.
Happy Bark-day, William!
We can’t stop oohing and aahing over this pup-tastic pic - William playing with four new puppies to mark his 43rd birthday yesterday. The adorable pic was taken earlier this month in Windsor by Catherine.
Released by Kensington Palace and shared on social media, the caption said: “Happy birthday! Love C, G, C, L, Orla and the puppies.” Orla the cocker spaniel, who gave birth in May, was given to the family by Catherine’s brother, James, in 2020, several months before the sudden loss of their beloved Lupo.
Whatever William and the family got up to on Saturday, we have a feeling it was slightly more low key than last year’s birthday celebrations - Taylor Swift at Wembley Stadium with George and Charlotte!
Charles’ artwork joins UK’s greatest artists
A pencil sketch by our keen artist King, will be displayed alongside works by eminent artists including David Hockney and Quentin Blake and many others. The drawing, Highgrove from the Thyme Walk, will be part of The Power of Drawing free exhibition, celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Royal Drawing School, co-founded by Charles.
“The school remains one of the few institutions worldwide dedicated to high-quality, observational drawing, “ said Charles. “I am immensely proud of its significant contribution to making drawing accessible to all, regardless of background and circumstance.”
The exhibitions starts 1 July until 26 July. Book free tickets here.
We ‘meet’ the King and Queen at Garter Day!
On Monday, we were thrilled to secure tickets to Garter Day at Windsor Castle. This annual event is a 700-year-old ritual for Knights of the realm, begun in the 1300s, by King Edward III. The monarch and his Royal and Companion Knights process on foot from Windsor Castle to St George’s Chapel, in their full regalia of velvet cloaks and Tudor bonnets with ostrich feathers. It’s quite the sight. Every year, a select number of guests can line the route, which this year, included The Royal List. We were just inches away from the King and Queen, Prince and Princess of Wales, Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh and Princess Anne. It was a fabulous day out – read all about it here, if you missed our special newsletter.
Own Diana’s famous fashion pieces
Royal superstar and fashion icon, Diana really was in a league of her own. And now, depending on whether you’re feeling flush or not, this Thursday offers an amazing chance to buy a stylish item from her famous wardrobe. The auction will be the largest collection of Diana's clothes (over 200 pieces) ever sold and many have never been available to buy before. Hosted by Julien’s Auctions at Los Angeles’ Peninsula Beverly Hills, it can also be watched online on 26 June. Bidding is now open, and a portion of the proceeds will be donated to Muscular Dystrophy UK.
Great post! We went on Saturday and it was hot but well worth it.