Kisses from the King and Queen! Charles and Camilla are affectionate with family at Royal Ascot

Queen Camilla appeared on the edge of her seat as she attended her first Royal Ascot since the Coronation this afternoon.

The royal, 75, looked effortlessly elegant in cream coat dress, matching hat and gloves for her day at the Berkshire races.

The mother-of-two arrived in a horse-drawn carriage with her husband King Charles and their friends the Duke and Duchess of Wellington.

After warmly greeting other members of the Royal Family, the King and Queen made their way to the Royal box – where they had a prime view of the races.

As a life-long fan of horseracing, Camilla seemed particularly invested in what was unfolding on the tracks. 

Grasping onto her binoculars, the Queen was seen grimacing as she watched from the sidelines.

King Charles and Queen Camilla appeared in high spirits as they lovingly greeted members of their family at their first Royal Ascot since the Coronation.

The monarch, 74, was dressed in traditional grey morning suit for the annual sporting event in Berkshire. 

Along with a double-breasted waistcoat, the King donned a light pink tie, a blue patterned pocket square and was seen carrying a black top hat.

Underneath her smart coat, Camilla wore a white dress with a silver neckline – which offset the Queen Mother’s Shell Brooch pinned on the lapel.

The sophisticated royal styled her hair in her signature bouncy blow-dry and opted for a pair of chic dangly pearl earrings.

The couple were joined by other members of the Royal Family – including Princess Anne, Zara and Mike Tindall, Princess Beatrice and her husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, and Camilla’s recently widowed sister Annabel Elliot.

Princess Beatrice, 34, looked effortlessly elegant in a midi floral gown with voluminous sleeves by Belulah which she paired with a pink silk headband by Juliette Botterill Millinery. 

Royal Ascot, the jewel in the crown of the UK racing calendar, starts today with the Queen Anne Stakes and will run until Ladies’ Day on Friday.

Around 300,000 people are set to attend the prestigious event, some of them royalty and world-famous celebrities.

In this year’s pamphlet, the newly-crowned King and Queen took the opportunity to write a special message to guests.

They wrote: ‘We are delighted to welcome you to Royal Ascot in this, the year of our Coronation. Five days oh highly competitive racing will again be watched and enjoyed by millions, both here and abroad.

‘We are happy in the knowledge that this historic race meeting continues to be a key influence on the global racing and breeding industries.

‘The Royal Meeting always played a central role in Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth’s calendar and the naming of the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes will be a most appropriate way to mark this lifelong interest. 

‘A photographic exhibition in the Grandstand will also celebrate The late Queen’s close association with Royal Ascot, including images of some of her twenty four winners. We are sure his exhibition will prompt many happy memories.

‘As improving sustainability is crucial to all events and businesses, we were pleased to hear that the Village Enclosure at Ascot will be net carbon zeo this year and that the racecourse is making renewed efforts to minimalise waste.

‘Finally, we wish the very best of good fortune to all the owners, breeders, trainers, jockeys and hardworking stable staff with runners this weeek.

‘It is a huge and rare achievement to have a runner at Royal Ascot and we very much hope that you all enjoy the experience.’ 

The day is a much a social occasion as a sporting event and racegoers take the opportunity to turn on the style, from chic hats and summer dresses to sharp suits.

It’s the first year the event, a favourite of the late Queen, will go ahead since her death in September.

Following her Coronation in 1953, the Queen travelled to the racecourses in Berkshire at least once a year to attend the event – and only missed it in 2020 due to Covid lockdowns.

The Duke of Kent was asked to replace the Queen in the Royal procession at the event last year, which took place just three months before her death.

To mark the first Ascot since her passing, organisers have displayed a heartwarming collection of photos of the Queen visiting Ascot over the years.

These include a black-and-white photo of the royal riding on the tracks in 1960 when she was 34 years old. 

What’s more, the organisers also selecting a photograph of the Queen beaming at Ladie’s Day in 2013. 

The event turned out to be one of the Queen’s most successful Ascots as her horse Estimate won the Gold Cup – making her the first monarch in 200 years to scoop the prize.

The late royal was pictured beaming at her trophy, which was presented to her by her son Prince Andrew. 

The full Ascot tribute, which was written by royal photographer Chris Jackson, read: ‘Queen Elizabeth II loved Ascot. Ascot loved Queen Elizabeth.

‘For over 70 years of Queen Elizabeth’s reign, Ascot remained the epicentre of the late Monarch’s life, a highlight of the summer season that saw her late Majesty at her happiest among crowds of adoring racegoers and in the vicinity of some of the world’s most beautiful racing horses.

‘For someone who received her first horse Peggy, a gift at the age of four, horse racing and breeding became the love of her life. 

‘The late Queen rode into her 90s and, an accomplished horsewoman who in the later years drew huge pleasure from being around her splendid and much-adored horses.’

Following the Queen’s death last September, Ascot described Her Majesty as the sport’s ‘greatest supporter’.

They wrote in a poignant statement: ‘The nation mourns the loss of a much loved and respected Monarch. The world of racing has lost one of its greatest supporters.

‘We at Ascot are privileged to have so many memories of Her Majesty The Queen at this her racecourse, including some wonderful victories in the Royal colours.

‘We offer our deepest sympathies to His Majesty The King and the whole Royal Family.’

What’s more, the event has also renamed an event in the Queen’s honour. The Platinum Jubilee Stakes, a six-furlong sprint which is staged on the Saturday of Ascot’s five day meeting, will from now on be known as the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes. 

Following the Coronation of King Charles, the racecards now carry a new cypher, replacing the late Queen’s official royal emblem with a joint one to reflect both the King and Queen. 

On social media, Royal Ascot shared a photograph of the new look, writing:  ‘We are delighted to unveil the racecard cover for the opening day of Royal Ascot 2023, the first displaying the joint cypher of Their Majesties The King & Queen.’

Both the King and Queen have individual cyphers. The joint cypher is more similar in design to Queen Camilla’s own emblem but adds an additional swirling C to represent the King. 

Queen Elizabeth II had 24 winners in total, having been a keen racehorse owner, with her final triumph coming by way of Tactical in the Windsor Castle Stakes three years ago.

Choir Boy raced home as her first ever winner during the 1953 Royal Hunt Cup, which occurred during the same week of Her Late Majesty’s coronation at Westminster Abbey.

Royal Ascot 2023 is scheduled to run from Tuesday June 20th until Saturday June 24th.