The Queen looked effortlessly elegant as she joined the King and other members of the Royal Family on the first day of Royal Ascot today.
However, Camilla, 76, may have come to regret the wide-brimmed hat she wore along with her matching vibrant blue dress for the carriage procession at Berkshire Racecourse.
Thanks to the eye-catching headdress, it was difficult for the King’s niece Zara Tindall, 43, and her ex-husband Mike, 45, to gently greet the Queen with a kiss.
King Charles, 75, and Camilla are proven racing fans and arrived at Berkshire Racecourse in the traditional carriage before the first race, along with Princess Anne, Peter Phillips and Lady Gabriella Windsor.
As the famous competition began, they wished racegoers “the best of luck” in chasing the “thrill of a Royal Ascot winner.”
The hat looks uncomfortable! Queen Camilla’s headdress appeared to get in the way as Mike Tindall greeted her with a kiss.
Thanks to the eye-catching headdress, the King’s niece Zara Tindall, 43, found it difficult to gently greet the Queen with a kiss.
King Charles, 75, and Camilla are proven racing fans and arrived at Berkshire Racecourse in the traditional carriage before the first race.
Royal Ascot 2023 was their first as King and Queen, and the pair, taking on Queen Elizabeth II’s thoroughbreds, saw their horse Desert Hero win the King George V Stakes, their first winner in the famous meeting as owners.
The late Queen was a passionate owner and breeder of Thoroughbreds, and had more than 20 Royal Ascot winners during her 70-year reign.
Writing jointly in the official programme, Charles and Camilla said: “It gave us immense pleasure and joy to witness Desert Hero’s victory in the King George V Stakes last year, particularly as he was bred by Her Late Majesty.
‘We wish all this week’s entrants the best of luck in their pursuit of the unique thrill of a Royal Ascot winner.
“We also hope that those here at the racecourse and those watching at home will enjoy five days of the best racing the sport has to offer.”
Punters decked out in stunning hats, summer dresses and smart suits will cheer on the runners over the next five days at Berkshire Racecourse.
It was founded by Queen Anne in 1711 after she declared that Ascot was ideal for “horses galloping at full speed” and today it has become a major social event as well as a sporting attraction.
The carriage parade that announced the start of the races took place under a bright summer sun.
Zara Tindall is pictured hugging Lady Gabriella Kingston as they both attend the first day of Royal Ascot in Berkshire.
King Charles and Queen Camilla are seen arriving at Royal Ascot in a carriage.
The Queen wore a royal blue ensemble, coordinating her coat with a wide-brimmed hat of the same shade.
Zara and Mike Tindall put on a glamorous display while attending the first day of Royal Ascot
The Princess Royal, Lady Gabriella Kingston and Peter Phillips arrive on the first day of Royal Ascot
Today marks the first day of the famous event, which is one of the favorites among members of The Firm
As well as attending Royal Ascot today, Lady Gabriella Windsor (pictured) was at Trooping the Color last Saturday.
The king and queen were joined in their carriage by Charles Wellesley, the 9th Duke of Wellington who wore Queen Mary’s crown at the coronation before Camilla was crowned, and his wife, the Duchess.
They were followed by the Princess Royal, who traveled with her son Peter Phillips, Lady Gabriella Kingston, daughter of Prince and Princess Michael of Kent, and Charles and Camilla’s racing director John Warren.
In the third coach were Camilla’s sister Annabel Elliot, her son Sir Ben Elliot, a former Conservative Party co-chairman knighted in Boris Johnson’s resignation honors list and who is married to the daughter of musician Steve Winwood, and the Earl and Countess of Halifax.
In the final trainer were Sir Johnny Weatherby, racehorse owner and breeder and former representative of the late Queen at Ascot from 2011 to 2020, and racehorse trainer Ralph Beckett and his wife.
Lady Gabriella’s outing at Royal Ascot marked her first official public appearance since the tragic death of her husband, Thomas Kingston, in February.
The event will be particularly poignant for the daughter of Prince and Princess Michael of Kent, as she attended the society race last year with her late husband.
Her husband, war hero and financier, Mr Kingston, was found dead aged 45 at his parents’ home in the Cotswolds.
He died from a “traumatic head injury”, according to an inquest in March. His death was not treated as suspicious and no one else was involved.
The royal family has proven to be a strong model of support for Gabriella, 43, in recent months.
Over the weekend, Ella, as she is known to her friends, made a low-key appearance on Trooping the Color after being invited by the King.
She was seen watching the parade with her family inside the palace, including her brother, Lord Frederik Windsor, and his wife, Sophie Winkleman, whom she was standing next to.
Lady Gabriella was photographed watching the performance behind Princess Anne, her husband Vice-Admiral Sir Timothy Lawrence and the Duke of Kent.
Lady Gabriella stood back from the balcony and watched the RAF flight from inside Buckingham Palace.
Along with other young royals, Ella had made regular balcony appearances until the arrival of Covid-19 in early 2020.