The traditional Royal Ascot race week officially began on Tuesday afternoon. To kick off the event, the British Royal Family presented themselves at the classic carriage parade before thousands of spectators. The festive procession was led by King Charles III (77) and Queen Camilla (78), who formed the head of the procession together with the Duke and Duchess of Wellington.

They were followed in the second carriage by another group of high-ranking guests, including Princess Anne, her son Peter Phillips, his wife Harriet Sperling, and Sir Ben Elliot, a nephew of the Queen. Numerous members of the extended Royal Family were also represented in the following carriages: The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester participated as well as Alice Elliot, a niece of Queen Camilla. Additionally, Zara Tindall, the daughter of Princess Anne, and her husband Mike Tindall were spotted at the event, as reported by People, among others.

Royal Couple Issues Statement

After arriving, King Charles III and Queen Camilla made their way to the exclusive VIP area Royal Enclosure, which has a strict dress code: Ladies wear hats and knee-length dresses or skirts, while gentlemen appear in top hats and morning coats. The traditional event spans five days this year, from Tuesday, June 16, to Saturday, June 20.

Accompanying this, the royal couple also addressed the guests with an official message published in the program booklet. It begins: We are delighted to welcome you to Royal Ascot. Some of the finest horses from Europe, North America and Australasia will be racing this week and will be watched by audiences in almost 200 countries, as quoted by the blog Royal Central.

King Charles III Also Owns Racehorses

In their message, the King and Queen highlighted the special significance of Royal Ascot and described the event as a highlight of the year for the international horse racing scene. At the same time, they shared personal insights and how much racing means to them.

As horse owners and breeders ourselves, we know how difficult it is to win races at Royal Ascot, and we wish our fellow breeders at home and abroad the best of luck with this most fascinating challenge, they stated. The couple inherited her racehorses after the death of Queen Elizabeth II (1926-2022).

Not a Royal Event

Despite its royal name, Royal Ascot is neither an event of the Royal Family nor is it organized by the Palace. Rather, this spectacle is a special week of horse racing that takes place every year in June in Ascot and attracts around 300,000 visitors over the five days. It is considered Britain's most popular horse racing event.