Ladies' Day at Royal Ascot: Queen and other royals joins glamorous racegoers on third day of meeting

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The Queen joined glamorous racegoers for Ladies' Day on the third day of Royal Ascot.

The fashion stakes were high, with spectators pulling out all the stops to make a statement - from teapot-inspired headgear to mythical animals.

Royal Ascot is as much a social occasion as a sporting event and horse racing fans take the opportunity to turn on the style, with chic hats, summer dresses and sharp suits.

Headgear is essential for the week of socialising, horse racing and fine dining, with feathers, teapots and fluffy pink pompoms adorning this year’s show-stopping head pieces.

Queen Elizabeth at Royal Ascot
PA

The Queen arrived in the traditional carriage procession with the Princess Royal, her husband Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, and the Duke of York.

In the other carriages were three of the Queen's grandchildren, Peter Phillips and wife Autumn, Zara Tindall and husband Mike Tindall, a former England rugby player, and Princess Eugenie.

Among the famous faces in the stands was Game Of Thrones star Natalie Dormer, tennis coach Judy Murray and Lady Gabriella Windsor, whose father is the Queen's cousin, and her husband Thomas Kingston.

Debora Day, 67, from Romsey, Essex, wore an enormous white hat she made from voluminous tulle topped with a tiny model of Pegasus.

Zara Tindall during day three of Royal Ascot at Ascot Racecourse
PA

She completed the look with a matching red and white dress with a long train.

She said: "I was inspired by Ladies' Day and wanted to create something with excitement and atmosphere and fun - everything I do is fun.

Traditionally women were granted free entry or discounted tickets for events that would ordinarily be for men only.
Getty Images

"I found the dress in a little boutique shop near where I live, then created the hat to match."

Milliner Victoria Charles was wearing one of her own creations - a collection of mechanical cogs - she said: "The hat was inspired by watches, the mechanism inside a watch and is made of felt to look like metal.

"I love coming to Ascot. I've got lots of my clients here and it's wonderful to get dressed up."

Imaginative creations adorned this year's collection of hats and headpieces.
Getty Images

Lawyer Alexa Wolman, 34, from Miami, Florida, was wearing a hat in the form of a teapot, which was pouring flowers rather than tea.

She said: "It's Ladies' Day and I wanted to do something whimsical and fantastical and wanted the flowers to represent the lovely women here today."

Fortunately for racegoers, Tuesday's heavy rain was replaced by some welcome sunshine.

This year marks a landmark in Royal Ascot’s three hundred-year history, as for the first time guests are invited to dress as they identify.

The best hats from Royal Ascot 2019

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Women are permitted to wear gentlemen’s clothes and vice versa as long as they don’t break any of the other rules in the event’s strict dress code.

It is compulsory for dresses to fall “just above the knee or longer” for guests in the Royal enclosure, for example, and trouser suits must be “full-length to the ankle and of match in both material and colour.”

The five-day event, a highlight in the royal calendar, is set to attract around 300,000 guests in total.

The rain and ongoing South Western Railway strike have proved a test of their dedication, yet the smiles and sophistication continues.

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