Glamorous racegoers have pulled out all the sartorial stops as they arrived at Royal Ascot in the sunshine today to kick off the annual celebration in style.
Crisp white summer dresses, statement suits and peacock-themed hats were all on display as thousands of revellers descended on the Berkshire racecourse this morning.
Royal Ascot, the jewel in the crown of the UK racing calendar, starts today with the Queen Anne Stakes and will run until Saturday.
The King and Queen are likely to join the punters at the famous racing meet and cement their position as champions of racing, just like Queen Elizabeth II. They’ll be hoping to add to their tally of Royal Ascot winners.
Charles and Camilla took on the late Queen’s thoroughbreds and have entered a string of horses over the next five days.
Eye-catching ensembles: Three women showcase their colourful outfits as they attend the first day of Royal Ascot
Their headgear was equally original with the women choosing floral designs in red and pink
Keeping cool! A racegoer with an elegant fan on day one of Royal Ascot at Ascot Racecourse
Standing out from the crowds: This person clearly wanted to command attention in their unique ensemble
A woman showcases her sense of style in a daring cut-out dress featuring shimmering details
Nick Knowles and and his fiancée Katie Dadzie look equally smart as they step out at Royal Ascot this morning
Lady in red! Charlotte Hawkins looked effortlessly elegant in a scarlet ensemble, pictured left. Pictured right, Vicky Pattison attends the first day of Royal Ascot wearing a striking headpiece, featuring a giant cookie, to celebrate the UK launch of Subway’s new Footlong Cookie
A racegoer wears a dramatic union flag dress in front of a union flag backdrop at Royal Ascot
Former England footballer Theo Walcott posed with wife Melanie on the first day of Royal Ascot. While Melanie opted for a sleeveless, patterned dress, Theo wore a daring yellow waistcoat with his morning suit
English TV presenter, model and fashion journalist Louise Roe posed with fellow TV presenter Scott Wimsett
Louise Roe wore a red fascinator adorned with roses and netting, which complemented her pink, floral dress
The late Queen was a passionate owner and breeder of thoroughbreds, and had more than 20 Royal Ascot winners during her 70-year reign.
Traditionally, the King and Queen arrive at Royal Ascot in a carriage procession with their guests, a convention which will reach its 200th anniversary next year, as it was first held in 1825 during the reign of King George IV.
Punters dressed in stunning hats, summer dresses and smart suits will cheer on the riders over the next five days at the Berkshire race course.
It was founded by Queen Anne in 1711 after she declared Ascot ideal for ‘horses to gallop at full stretch’ and has today become a major social event as well as a sporting attraction.
This year’s Royal Ascot will take place over five days beginning on Tuesday, June 18 before drawing to a close on Saturday, June 22.
The first race of the meeting will get underway at 2:30pm on the Tuesday. The final race of the week is scheduled for 6:15pm on the Sunday.
This year’s meeting will have an overall prize-money pot of £10million. This is a record amount for Royal Ascot. The minimum winnings for all eight Group 1 races will be £650,000.
Hat’s the spirit! Racegoers commanded attention in statement headpieces – including sun and peacock-themed versions
A Chanel girl! This stylish racegoer clearly had a go-to brand as she displayed garments from the French luxury fashion house
Think pink! Glamorous racegoers showcase their vibrant dresses as they attend the first day of Royal Ascot
A pop of colour! This stunning guest teamed her elegant white dress with an eye-catching green hat
Hat’s fabulous! Eye-catching headpieces appeared to be the hottest trend of the day
Coordinating queens: These friends decided to wear all matching outfits for their outing
Bridal chic! Crisp white summer dresses appeared to be the order of the day, with these radiant guests embracing the trend
Oh so sweet! This enormous Love Hearts- themed hat was a right treat at the racecourse
Yell-ow! This glamorous racegoer opted for a floral headpiece to team with her ensemble
Thrice as nice! Racegoers Ewa Johnson, Ilda Di Vico and Tamara Holmgren on day one of Royal Ascot
As pretty as a rainbow! A group of glamorous women put their best fashion foot forward in an array of colourful dresses
TV presenter Rosie Tapner put on an incredible display in a cream dress and matching hat
Ascot TV presenter Rosie Tapner shows off her fabulous ensemble at Royal Ascot
Matching! These stunning racegoers decided to wear similar outfits for their day out
Putting their best fashion foot forward! Racegoers showcase their stylish looks for today’s event
Here come the girls! These ladies dressed to impress in matching attire for the action-packed day
Hat’s all about it! A pair of stunning racegoers are all smiles as they showcase their headgear
Glamorous racegoers have pulled out all the sartorial stops as they arrived at Royal Ascot in the sunshine today to kick off the annual celebration in style
Making a statement: This racegoer turned heads in her vibrant pink hat and unique sunglasses
Watch out for this hat! This headpiece made sure to command attention thanks to its shape and size
On Tuesdays… we wear pink! Two revellers show off their pretty in pink ensembles
Blooming lovely! A racegoer shows off her elegant floral gown as she attends today’s event
Female racegoers went to town with their headwear, choosing a multicoloured fascinator (left) and a floral design adorned with a fake parrot
For the first time in its 313-year history, Ascot Racecourse announced this year the appointment of a creative director.
British fashion designer Daniel Fletcher was responsible for the creation of the annual Lookbook and Millinery Collective in 2024, which set the style tone for the year and often inspire racegoers’ outfits.
He’s known for his classically tailored silhouettes and modern gender-fluid clothes; his Spring/Summer 2023 collection included corset designs for both men and women.
The Cheshire-born designer, whose first customer was the eccentric Harry Styles, told GQ in 2023: ‘The idea of an item of clothing being for a specific gender is such a funny one.
‘I understand that something like a bra is designed for function, but when it comes to a shirt, why would we apply gender to something like that? And for me, the same applies to the corset.’
Former One Direction member Harry whose style has included jumpsuits, feather boas, skirts and dresses, became Daniel’s first customer after buying all the boxy short-sleeved shirts from the designer’s graduate collection in 2015.
‘Harry had a huge impact on my career,’ Daniel admitted to GQ in 2020. ‘At 24 years old I couldn’t believe what was happening.’
Double trouble! These friends were all smiles as they attended the races together today
Say cheese! A pair of racegoers pose for a photograph as they attend the action-packed first day
Pretty in pink! This woman opted for a matching hat and coat ensemble for the day out
Flower power! Two racegoers showcase their floral ensembles as they attend today’s event
From pink to purple outfits, people showed off their stunning looks as they attended the famous race meeting
It was a sea of colourful dresses at the Berkshire racecourse as guests opted for vibrant ensembles
Strike a pose! A group of guests pose for a photograph while attending the famous race meeting
A racegoer stands near to armed police on day one of Royal Ascot at Ascot Racecourse, Berkshire
Another glamourous racegoer paired a cream, floral dress with black lace gloves today
Racegoers sat down to have a lavish picnic at a table decorated with a Union Jack flag
One racegoer had no qualms about taking off her high heels to make walking across the grass that little bit simpler
A racegoer parked up and appeared to be airing his morning suit before the the first day of Royal Ascot got underway
Since then, the designer’s career has gone from strength to strength, with A-listers including James McAvoy, Robert Pattinson, Eddie Redmayne, Emma Corrin and Emerald Fennell wearing his looks.
The Central Saint Martins graduate has also designed for some of the world’s most prestigious houses including Louis Vuitton, Lanvin and JW Anderson and held the role of Artistic Director for Italian label Fiorucci between 2019 and 2023.
He was nominated for the LVMH prize in 2017, was a winner of the European Semi- Final of the International Woolmark Prize and named Breakthrough Designer of The Year in the 2020 GQ Men of The Year Awards.
After many successful seasons showing his collections on the London Fashion Week schedule, Daniel took part in Netflix’s ‘Next In Fashion’ series which saw him make it to the final.
Of his latest appointment, Daniel said: ‘I’m thrilled to be appointed as Ascot’s first Creative Director and have thrown myself into the new role.
‘I’m keen to encapsulate the rich heritage of the racecourse while embracing the unique dress codes, adding a contemporary twist to bring a flair that Ascot hasn’t seen before.
‘For 2024, I want to inspire racegoers to push the boundaries with their own unique style and immerse themselves in the opportunity to embrace their own creativity – and what better occasion than Royal Ascot!
‘I’m super excited to reveal the next evolution of style direction for the world- renowned brand and can’t wait for the vision to become a reality.’
