Here are some photos from Day 1 of the Royal Ascot. For the first day, many royals came out to play. Queen Elizabeth, the Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Harry, the Duke of York, Princess Beatrice, Princess Anne and Zara Phillips were all in attendance. I’ve included as many clear shots as I could find, but just know: Beatrice was in very few photos, for whatever reason. Anne always avoids the cameras whenever possible as well. Oh, and regarding Zara’s yellow dress, which seemed suspiciously bunchy in the midsection: there are now rumors that Zara is expecting again!
The Queen wore a vibrant hot pink coat and floral dress for Day 1. Her dress was by Peter Enrione and I’m almost positive that the hat and coat were repeats. I think the coat was probably done by Angela Kelly, the Queen’s longtime dressmaker. As for the Queen’s constant Brooch Realness, I just fell down the fabulous-jewelry rabbit hole trying to ID the brooch. I’m pretty sure that it is not the Queen’s famous pink sapphire brooch – which you can see here – just because in previous photos, that brooch looks much smaller than this one at Royal Ascot. I’m also in love with this post about the Queen’s newly-seen brooches in 2014. Alas, I still can’t find any reference to the one she’s wearing here. Those pink stones are not pink diamonds, but they could be pink sapphires or pink topazes. Pink tourmalines?
What else? Royal Ascot is THE event for crazy hats, and I always just thought that was an unspoken custom. As it turns out, it’s a real rule for attending Royal Ascot. People Magazine spoke to “royal milliner” Rachel Trevor-Morgan, who said: “Royal Ascot rules are very strict — you must wear a hat or headpiece that is at least 10 cm wide. Your hat will be the most memorable part of your outfit, so try to make as much effort as possible.” No fascinators are allowed either, you have to wear a real hat. Women also cannot show their shoulders or midriffs, and sunglasses are frowned upon.
Photos courtesy of WENN.
I’ve always had a thing for hats, and I’ve rarely had an opportunity to wear one. One day I should try to get to Royal Ascot just so I can indulge and go hat-crazy, lol.
I also love the Queen’s brooch, and I’m not normally a big fan of pink stones.
I love hats too! I’m lucky the Spring Racing Carnival is big here in Melbourne. It gives me lots of opportunities to dress up and wear hatS and fascinators. The races are lots of fun. I’d love to check out Ascot one day. It looks amazing.
I was writing something here, but now I see the brooch has been identified.
I live in Louisville, so I get an excuse to wear a hat at least once a year! Woo!
The Princess Royal is one of my favorite royals! Also, Zara is definitely expecting. Congrats to her.
That outfit of hers first appeared in approx 1980..no joke ..one of the papers ,probably the mail has it worn about 5 times through the years!!!!
The queen is fabulous, as always! But isn’t what Zara’s wearing a fascinator?
She’s also wearing sunglasses!
Fascinators are allowed as long as their base is at least 10 cm wide. Zara’s looks like it fits the bill, so she’s all right.
It’s probably more appropriately identified as a cocktail hat, as it has a visible base (fascinators don’t). https://royalhats.wordpress.com/category/types-of-hats/
The strict dress code rules are limited to the royal box. The stands are full of fascinators and bare shoulders.
Ascot overall has a dress code too, one they have a lot of trouble enforcing in recent years, but it isn’t as strict as the royal box code.
The Royal Order of Sartorial Splendor is always my go to to id anything royal jewel related. They directed me to this site:
http://queensjewelvault.blogspot.com/2015/06/queen-victorias-crown-ruby-brooch.html?m=1
It’s apparently a brooch that belonged to the Queen Mum, and this is its debut on the Queen!
Oops. I posted before I saw your comment. Thanks for the info!
The brooch goes back to Queen Victoria but was used with different stones. It was updated to rubies by Queen Alexandria. It is the first time QE2 has worn this set since the Queen Mum’s death.
Queen Alexandra felt that opals were bad luck and had the entire parure replaced by rubies. The complete parure is thought to contain a necklace, earrings, the brooch and the Oriental Circlet tiara. On one hand, I love rubies and these sets are gorgeous set with them but on the other, I really like Prince Albert’s design aesthetic and am super curious to see the whole parure as it was intended to look.
Here is the matching necklace and earrings: http://queensjewelvault.blogspot.com/2012/06/queen-victorias-crown-ruby-earrings-and.html
Here is the Oriental Circlet Tiara: http://queensjewelvault.blogspot.com/2013/03/the-oriental-circlet.html
Oooooooh that’s my birthstone. I wonder if she’d let me borrow it?
I came here to post that exact same link! That is a fabulous brooch and I suspect the rubies look more red in person or when they aren’t reflecting from the bright pink background.
I wish my job was to pick out the queen’s jewelry everyday.
Apparently the brooch is made with rubies.
I thought HM looked in fine form. Sophie and Zara really knocked it out of the ballpark! Camilla and Birgitte looked good, with Anne and Beatrice getting a meh. Harry, once again, looks off. Is it just me???? Hopefully he’s just bummed about leaving the Army or the cameras got some uncharacteristicly bad shots.
Anne was wearing an outfit dating back to 1980…onnaccounna Honey Badger Don’t Care.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-3127219/And-gold-star-thrift-goes-Anne-Princess-Royal-recycles-outfit-wore-1980-day-Royal-Ascot.html
I saw she recycled her outfit… I’m still not nuts about it. Although, the hat IS an improvement over the previous hat she wore.
I’m hoping Sartorial Splendor does a piece on that brooch. Gorgeous!
I like the second lady’s yellow outfit and hat (not the one checking her own bum).
SO MUCH fwa fwa fwa.
OMG! I did the fwa fwa fwa thing, too, when I saw Anne. Joan Rivers lives on.
The Queen looks so spectacular in that shade of pink. And I’d take any one of her brooches -they’re all to die for – especially that ruby!💕💕
I Love that color on QEII!
I saw plenty of pics of Beatrice with her cousins. I loved her skirt, but I would have killed for her shoes.
The family seems to have a great relationship with each other. Big difference from the way these same people were acting at Trooping and the polo match.
yes, i know people like to bash Beatrice for her style, but she takes risks and i loved some of her outfits. She looked good this time, but IMO the awesome shoes were way too dark and heavy for that long skirt. Other shoes would have been better… or maybe a shorter skirt.
I don´t think Zara is pregnant. If i remember well she said she will return to sport now and ride for medals again.
Sadly DailyMail brings this “pregnant headline”. The horror for every woman with little bit tummy.
I doubt she’s pregnant too. She’s made it clear she’s trying to make the 2016 Olympic team.
I didn’t like the shoes and with with that outfit. Plus, I’d like to see her hair up with that hat. Like Anne (and Maxima), Beatrice is pretty bold with her choices — I’ll give her that. 😃
And I love seeing them all interact, it’s very refreshing how normal it is.
I love it when QEII flashes a big smile… I always smile in return! That vibrant shade of pink looks wonderful on her.
She does look great, doesn’t she?
QEII looks amazing. Love the hat, love the color and style of her outfit, love her
Princess Anne looks like she walked off the set of Downton…and I LOVE it! Those are my colors. Sigh.
Zara Phillips has said she wants to compete in the 2016 Olympics and would not be pregnant again until they were over with.
yes, that mustard is absolutely divine, and even more so since it’s a tricky colour to pull off! Hard to believe it’s a repeat from 30+ years ago, she actually wore the coat to Ascot back in the 80s.
Dammit….I wish I could fit into clothes from 30+ years ago:(
I really want to go to Royal Ascot one day, it’s so fabulous!
Harry in his Ascot suit. My word…..Yum.
It would be so fun to dress up like that for a day. I love when women of a certain age wear bright colors. I hope I do the same when i am that age.
Is that hat decree in place to keep English milliners in business? Besides the tradition and all, of course!
I’m going tomorrow! I have a big hat! So much fun.
Isn’t the woman in the last picture wearing a fascinator?
Fascinators are ok at Ascot if the base is 10cm+ wide.
Omg look at the queen! She is the bomb! Lol! I love her look. It makes me proud to br born in England and living in Canada 🙂
Ann looks quite lovely too come to think of it…
I’m no fan of the concept of royalty, but lord do I love their accoutrements. The Queen is astonishingly spiffy for her age, and forever impeccable – I love it. Though I love Princess Anne’s outfit more, that coat silhouette and hat are killing me. So much more interesting to look at than some of the younger-gen royals.
I don’t know whether to thank or blame whoever left that link to the Royal Order of Splendour blog last week, that blog is AMAZING but I’ve gone straight down the rabbit hole of Tiara Thursdays (Queen Margrethe’s floral aigrette tiara and QEII’s Girls of Great Britain and Ireland tiara have become my faves, now), and this despite being a woman who dislikes wearing jewellery at all! Sparkly things are so beautiful to look at…
You should try The Court Jeweler too — Ella Kay is wonderful.
Long live the queen!
I wonder if Zara is pregnant again?
The Queen’s dress reminds me of the yellow and white dress Kate wore after debuting Princess Charlotte.
She’s absolutely OWNING that outfit!
Is it just me, or does anyone else see “Wicked Witch” when they look at Princess Anne? Not commenting on her as a person…just saying the look is a bit…severe…
The stones in the brooch, especially the drop, are a bit too large for pinks sapphires. I think they are rubelite (pink tourmaline) they are a little too dark for pink topaz even with the bright pink coat beneath the stones.
….. ignore the above post , I have been doing some research and I can’t believe those huge stones are actually RUBIES set into an old Victorian brooch by Queen Alexandra or alternatively the rubies were said to be part of the gifts presented to Queen Mary by Indian Maharaja’s at the Delhi Durbar in 1911. Rubies that size would sell for at least 20million today with royal provenance.