Royal Ascot ready! Glamorous racegoers pull out all the stops as they arrive to kick off the five-day festival in style
- Royal Ascot, the jewel in the crown of the UK racing calendar, kicks off with the Queen Anne Stakes today
- The Queen will be joined by senior royals at the five-day racing festival in Berkshire this week
- Glamorous racegoers have arrived dressed to the nines in elegant dresses and over-the-top hats
Glamorous racegoers have arrived for the start of Royal Ascot as the five-day festival gets underway today.
Jewel-coloured dresses, statement hats and dapper morning suits were all on display as 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 Ladies' Day on Friday.
The Queen will officially mark the start of today's festivities with the royal carriage procession at around 2pm - but racegoers are wasting no time in getting the party started.
Early arrivals: Author and businesswoman Chelsey Baker, left, milliner Ilda Di Vico, centre, and Jodie Kidd, right
Summer style: Journalist Kate Silverton posed with Charlotte Hawkins, left. Right, women give a masterclass in summer style
Creating a buzz: A racegoer in black and yellow, left, journalist Flora MacDonald Johnston, centre, and model Georgia Fowler
Feathered fancies: Head-to-toe orange was one racegoer's bold look, left. Right, Zara Sassoon in a frothy white ensemble
Sticking to the theme! Rebecca Johnson flashes a beautiful smile in her customised Royal Ascot hat at the course today
Here come the girls! Presenter Charlotte Hawkins, left, racegoer Christina Wilson, centre, and singer Natalie Rushdie
More is more! Ines Hernandez from the Dominican Republic, left, wore a gloriously eye-catching hat for the occasion
Time for a selfie! Glamorous racegoers arrive for the first day of Royal Ascot as the five-day festival gets underway
Dream team! Racegoers pose for a snap on their way in, left. Right, Rebecca Johnson matches with her Royal Ascot date
Starting young! Dapper Chase Spranklin, 10, from Florida, was dressed to the nines for his outing to Royal Ascot today
Think pink! Whether it was floral (as seen on interior designer) Anouska Lancaster or feathers, fuchsia was a popular choice
Setting up camp: One of the favourite bits about Royal Ascot for many people is the picnic that takes place outside, pictured
Watch the hat! Designer Amanda Wakeley whips out an umbrella, left, and Zara Sassoon uses a hat box as a rain shield
Cheers to them! A group of well-dressed racegoers toast to the start of a fun day with a picnic near Ascot Racecourse
Great British past-time: Polite racegoers wait in line in their Ascot finery as they arrive at the Berkshire racecourse today
Royal Ascot 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.
Visitors to the high-profile racing event this year also have a wider choice of garb, as organisers say they are free to choose a gender dress code they 'feel most comfortable' with.
Under the changes, women will be allowed to dress like men and vice versa – as long as they stick to the rules.
This year's Royal Enclosure dress code says 'Gentleman' must wear black or grey morning dress with a waist coat and tie.
Girls' day out! Tangerine dresses were the order of the day for this gaggle of glamorous women at Royal Ascot
Strike a pose! Australian model Georgia Fowler made sure to give the photographer different angles as she arrived
Great British summertime! A tablecloth, wine and silver ice bucket made this Royal Ascot picnic a very civilised affair
Turning heads: Ines Hernandez, left, and Rebecca Johnson, right, were among the standout arrivals at Royal Ascot
Pushing the boundaries: One woman dons a suit, left, following the relaxing of the Royal Ascot dress code this year
Can you ever have too many hats? Jodie Kidd makes a statement with a teetering tower of top hats at Royal Ascot
Old fashioned glamour: A group of women in orange dresses strike a pose on their way into Royal Ascot
All out glamour: A racegoer is fabulous in a red ensemble, left, and Australian model Georgia Fowler strikes a pose, right
Retro glamour: A wicker Fortnum & Mason hamper completed the look for this stylish couple ready for a day at the races
Top hats and tails: Men weren't left behind in the fashion stakes and pulled out their very best clothes for the occasion
Perfectly polished: The well-turned out Royal Ascot staff pose for a photo before festivities get into full swing at the course
Ominous skies: Racegoers cross the course beneath cloudy grey skies, left, and take out umbrellas once inside, right
It won't rain on their parade! Extra umbrellas were needed inside Ascot Racecourse but the spirits were still high
'Ladies' are not allowed to wear strapless and off-the-shoulder dresses, while mid-riffs have to be covered and fascinators are also banned.
In previous years, it has insisted attendees cover their midriffs and avoid wearing fascinators and that still stands.
While in previous years there has been no official style guide for the Windsor Enclosure, except to dress for a formal occasion, now female attendees are requested to wear fascinators, like those in the rest of the enclosures.
Royal Ascot has put in place strict dress codes since the early 19th century .
The race gathering's famously strict clothing rules hark back to sartorial trailblazer Beau Brummell, who dictated the dress for men in the Royal Enclosure at the turn of the 19th century and was fond of cleaning his shoes with champagne.
Flower power! Ines Hernandez from the Dominican Republic, left, and Victoria Muir, right, plump for floral hats
Ready for the fun! Racegoers beamed as they arrived at Royal Ascot for the start of the five-day race meet today
Fun and fabulous: Journalist Flora MacDonald Johnston, left, and Edite Ligere show off extraordinary hats at Royal Ascot
Final touch-ups: A racegoer helps secure her friend's navy fascinator as the pair kick off a day of fun at Royal Ascot
Getting excited! Elegant racegoers arrive by train, left, before making their way on foot to Ascot Racecourse, right
Quick change! Looking to save their feet, many women arrive in flats before swapping into heels on arrival, pictured
On their way! Racegoers snap a picture en route to the course, left, while two friends arrive in co-ordinating outfits, right
Time for tea! Racegoers enjoy a carpark picnic before heading in to start the fun inside Ascot Racecourse this morning
Capturing the moment! Women pose for selfies, left, and arrive arm-in-arm for the first day of Royal Ascot this morning
Quiet moment: A well-dressed gentleman offers a flash of his Union Jack socks as he reads the newspaper in the carpark
Bubbles for two: With two glasses and a bottle on hand, this couple enjoy a civilised drink before heading into the racecourse
Well prepared: A picnic table, chairs and several cool boxes are laid out as one group get ready for Royal Ascot
Making an entrance! A carriage is the traditional way to arrive for a day at the races - and shows no signs of going out of style
Off they trot! A group elected to arrive by horse-drawn carriage on the first day of Royal Ascot this morning
Guess where they're going! Royal Ascot racegoers bring a splash of colour to London's Waterloo station
Ascot-bound! Racegoers stood out amid the suited commuters at London's Waterloo station this morning, pictured
Standing out from the crowd: Bold hats of all shapes and sizes could be seen at London's Waterloo station this morning
Guess where they're going? London Waterloo was awash with eccentrically dressed racegoers this morning
Final adjustments: A man in a fabulous horse hat helped his friend straighten her hat before boarding the train at Waterloo
Ready to go! Women in sequined hats waited for their train to Ascot at London's Waterloo this morning, pictured
Brightening up a grey day: Royal Ascot racegoers stroll through the station to catch their train to Ascot this morning
Drawing attention: Commuters couldn't help but stare at the smartly dressed gentlemen dressed for Royal Ascot as they passed
Two return tickets to Ascot! Two gentlemen in top hats and tails bought their tickets to the racing festival at London Waterloo
Two years ago, the event broke with convention by allowing racegoers to wear jumpsuits in the Royal Enclosure for the first time.
Organisers also announced they would try to draw in a new breed of visitors by putting on a 'party atmosphere' and a 'more vibrant feel'.
Meanwhile, no changes have been made to rules for 'Gentlemen'.
Juliet Slot, commercial director of Ascot, said: 'Fashion and style are an important part of the Royal Ascot experience for all of our customers.'
The boys have arrived! Well-dressed gents clutching an edition of Racing Post arrive ready for the day at Royal Ascot
Security checks: Searches are carried out at the entrance to the Queen Anne Enclosure at Ascot Racecourse this morning
Bag checks: Security checks were in place for all racegoers as they made their way into the grounds this morning
On alert: A security officer and her sniffer dog move through the crowds at the entrance to Ascot Racecourse this morning
Ready to go! Impeccably dressed stewards are briefed as they prepare for the first day of Royal Ascot this morning
Safety checks: Police officers with sniffer dogs patrolled the grounds ahead of the arrival of racegoers at Royal Ascot
Patrol: Teams of police officers and sniffer dogs were dispatched to secure the racecourse ahead of the festival today
Calm before the storm: The entrance to the Ascot Racecourse, where guest bag searches will take place during the day
Before the excitement: The beautiful parade ring at Ascot Racecourse ahead of the start of Royal Ascot today
These hats are amazing!
by lucybella 53