Royal family arrive for Royal Ascot and Sophie Wessex leads the way
No reign on their parade! Smiling Sophie Wessex, Princess Anne and Zara Tindall lead the glamorous royal arrivals at a soggy Royal Ascot Ladies Day
- Sophie Wessex, 56, cut an elegant figure in forest green as she arrived for Ladies Day at Royal Ascot
- Revellers didn’t let the bad weather dampen their spirits as they turned out for the glamorous day out
- 12,000 revellers have been given tickets for each day of the five-day race meet as part of a pilot scheme
Glamorous racegoers pulled out all the fashion stops for Ladies Day at Royal Ascot – and the royal guests were no exception.
Sophie, Countess of Wessex, 56, who has attended every day of Royal Ascot so far, cut an elegant figure in a sophisticated A-line shirt dress with stunning palm print embroidery on the skirt.
She finished the look with neutral pumps, a clutch bag and delicate hat.
Zara Tindall was also in attendance, accompanied by close pals Dolly Maude and Chanelle McCoy, as was her mother, the Princess Royal, 70, who looked radiant in yellow.
Mother-of-three Zara, 40, donned a chic floral number by Erdem with an eye-catching bespoke hat by Sarah Cant and her trusty RayBan sunglasses.
Yesterday Sophie was joined by senior royals including Princess Anne, Prince Charles, the Duchess of Cornwall and her husband Prince Edward.
Zara Tindall was also in attendance at Ladies Day today, accompanied by her close pals Dolly Maude and Chanelle McCoy
Mother-of-three Zara, 40, donned a chic floral number by Erdem with an eye-catching bespoke hat by Sarah Cant and neutral make-up, with a pale pink lip to match her headwear
Royal racing fan: Sophie cut an elegant figure in a sophisticated A-line shirt dress with stunning palm print embroidery
Forest green queen! Sophie Wessex looked radiant in forest green as she led the royal arrivals at Royal Ascot today
Top of her game! The Countess of Wessex finished her ensemble with a beautiful biscuit coloured hat with rose detailing
Princess Anne pictured arriving at Royal Ascot Ladies Day today looking radiant in a summer yellow coat dress with a cream hat to match
Traditionally the Queen would join her family at Ascot but she has so far missed out this year due to Covid. There are hopes Her Majesty will be able to attend later this week.
It was a rainy start to Ladies Day and racegoers arrived at the Berkshire racecourse huddled under umbrellas.
The race meet has been hit by rain after the balmy summer sunshine enjoyed by racegoers at the start of the week turned to thunderstorms and downpours overnight.
Not to be put off, racegoers hoisted their skirts up out of the puddles and smiled at waiting photographers as they made their way into the grounds.
A total of 12,000 revellers have been granted tickets to each day of Royal Ascot as part of a list of pilot events taking place before the possible lifting of all lockdown restrictions next month.
Zara Tindall (centre), Dolly Maude and Chanelle McCoy (right) arrive ahead of day three of Royal Ascot, all looking pretty in pink
Zara’s on-trend floral dress featured a frill across the bottom of the skirt, and she teamed it with a pair of pale pink suede block heels and a dusky pink clutch bag
Here come the girls! Zara Tindall, Chanelle McCoy, Dolly Maude and Natalie Pinkham all put on a glamorous display as they arrive for Ladies Day
Pictured from left to right, foursome Natalie Pinkham, Dolly Maude, Zara Tindall and Chanelle McCoy looked to be enjoying their girls day out
Zara wore her blonde locks in a low ponytail and kept her accessories to the minimum, opting for an elegant pair of gold drop earrings
Rain? What rain! Zara Tindall shares a joke with Chanelle McCoy, wife of Sir AP McCoy OBE, Champion Jump Jockey for 20 consecutive years, and the newest dragon on the TV series Dragon’s Den in Ireland
Princess Anne looked delighted to be back at Royal Ascot for the third day running, and sported a chic high collar coat dress with a feathered hat
The elegant Princess Royal teamed her yellow ensemble with a cream handbag and chic white gloves, along with a string of pearls and a floral brooch above her Jockey Club badge
The Duchess of Cornwall’s ex-husband Andrew Parker-Bowles is pictured arriving looking distinguished with a cane on day three of the Royal Ascot Meeting
Sophie, Countess of Wessex is pictured striding into the paddock on the third day of Royal Ascot
Brushing off the bad weather! Women put on showstopping displays in colourful outfits as they arrived for Ladies Day. Pictured right: Olivia Arben
Braving the rain! These racegoers didn’t want to let an umbrella get in the way of a good outfit as they posed for photos. Pictured right: Valerie Stark
All out glamour: A group of women wearing chic summer ensembles stop for a photo on their way into Royal Ascot
Candy-coloured creations! Charlotte Hawkins gives a twirl as she arrives (left). Right, a woman stuns in pink
Bright and beautiful! The Tootsie Rollers brought a splash of colour to a grey day in their vintage-inspired ensembles
Their crowning glory! Racegoers step out in towering hats and eye-catching ensembles for the third day at Royal Ascot
Pink ladies! Two women show off their cotton candy-coloured dresses and matching accessories on their arrival at Ascot
Printed perfection! Three women showcase an explosion of uplifting colour and patterns at Ladies Day
An explosion of colour: Every colour of the rainbow was on display as racegoers arrived at the Berkshire racecourse today. Pictured left: Milliner Victoria Gran, and right in the floral gown, Gayle Rinkoff
Attention to detail: This pretty face covering was the perfect addition to a pastel coloured ensemble at the races
Belles of the ball! Strictly pro Janette Manrara (left) arrived at Royal Ascot with Emma Weymouth, Marchioness of Bath
More is more! This elaborate feather and butterfly creation helped one glamorous racegoer stand out from the crowd
The weather today is a far cry from the scorching sunshine enjoyed by the racegoers lucky enough to attend Ascot on Tuesday and Wednesday.
The Royal Family have turned out in force this week, with Princess Anne, Prince Charles, the Duchess of Cornwall, Sophie Wessex, Prince Edward and Zara and Mike Tindall all making an appearance.
However the Queen has been notably absent this week, missing Royal Ascot for only the second time in 69 years
Her racing manager revealed on Tuesday that Her Majesty will be watching the action on TV at home but is hopeful of attending the festival – usually a highlight of her calendar – later this week.
Racing manager John Warren told Radio 4: ‘Obviously the Queen would love to attend, as you know she’s fanatic about racing, watching racing and breeding horses, and has been going to Ascot all of her adult life. So, it’s a shame to miss an event.
Top dog! Jimbo the Labrador sported an adorable top hat to match his owner’s smart attire as he attended Royal Ascot today
True blue: This soft shade of blue perfectly compliments the mint green of this woman’s outfit
Twice as nice! Glamorous women arrive at Ladies’ Day, dressed to the nine in soft summer dresses
Still plenty to smile about! Racegoers put on their finest dresses for Ladies Day at Royal Ascot
Making an entrance: One woman dressed in a striking scarlet ensemble didn’t let the rain ruin her morning
Pretty in pink! Once again one of the day’s most popular colours, racegoers arrived in pastels and vibrant hues
Little touches: A woman chose a sweet jockey-themed face mask as she arrived for Ladies Day at Royal Ascot this morning
Stylish revellers still pulled out all the fashion stops for Ladies Day – despite the wet weather
Red alert! One woman turned heads in her eye-catching creation (pictured) which matched her scarlet dress
Strike a pose! Three women stop for photographers on their way into Royal Ascot this morning
Former jockey Willie Carson looked well and truly in the spirit as he jumped for joy for photographers on arrival at Royal Ascot
Out of this world! One racegoer opted for a rocked-themed hat while her companion sported a large floral fascinator which coordinated with her belt
Making a statement! These two racegoers opted for a bigger is better approach when it came to their headwear, with elaborate hats you wouldn’t want to be sat behind
‘The plan at the moment is to see how it goes towards the latter part of the week and if the Queen’s able to come because she’s got runners, then, fingers crossed, it will happen.’
He added that the monarch was ‘fanatic’ about horse racing, and called her energy levels ‘incredible’ despite her age.
He said: ‘It’s remarkable. The Queen’s energy levels are incredible. She’s 95. She went down to the G7 this week, and trundled back on the train in the middle of the night and the energy will be raised higher again for a week like Ascot.’
Five times the fun! The Tootsie Rollers arrive in their signature vintage-inspired looks for Ladies Day at Royal Ascot
A chic all black ensemble was finished with an elegant wrap (left). Right, one man battles a blustery gust of wind
Girls’ day out! Two women wearing shades of pink and red flash wide smiles as they arrive for Ladies Day at Royal Ascot
Women clutch umbrellas as they wait outside the racecourse ahead of the third day of the racing festival
