Berkshire

Royal Ascot: Day one's virtual racegoers

  • 16 June 2020
Residents at Bristol's The Cote Charity care home Image copyright The Cote Charity
Image caption Residents at Bristol's The Cote Charity care home have been making their own brightly-coloured hats complete with butterflies and feathers

Royal Ascot fans across the globe have been donning their finest threads and hats to take part in flat racing's biggest meeting from the comfort of their own homes.

The Covid-19 pandemic has meant the action at Berkshire's famous racecourse is taking place behind closed doors with jockeys wearing face masks.

But this has not stopped "virtual racegoers" using the hashtags #SharedWithThanks and #hatsfromhome to showcase their outfits on social media.

They are also being encouraged by race organisers to donate to four front-line charities - The National Emergencies Trust Relief Fund, NHS Charities Together, The Care Workers Charity and the Berkshire Community Foundation Coronavirus Fund.

Jim Radford in a hat made by his daughter Image copyright Jim Radford
Image caption Jim Radford's six-year-old daughter Matilda created this colourful hat for him to wear while watching from home in Tonbridge, Kent
Rosie Tapner Image copyright Rosie Tapner
Image caption British model and TV presenter Rosie Tapner has also joined the socially-distanced fun
Vicky O'Hagan and her mum Image copyright Vicky O'Hagan
Image caption Vicky O'Hagan, of Consett in Durham, and her mother, Dee, opted for a cleaning theme for their headwear
Phoebe Phillips Image copyright Phoebe Phillips
Image caption Phoebe Phillips is watching the action in her finery from Melbourne in Australia
Nikki Samolovitch with her dog Champ Image copyright Nikki Samolovitch
Image caption Nikki Samolovitch, from Colorado in the United States, has been gearing up for Ascot with her dog Champ and a glass of bubbly
Christopher Weatherstone with his mother Dawn and sister Lucy Image copyright Lucy Weatherstone
Image caption Christopher Weatherstone, of Rotherham, South Yorkshire, donned a bow tie, while his mother Dawn and sister Lucy opted for dresses and fascinators
Rainbow hat design by milliner Judy Bentinck Image copyright Judy Bentinck
Image caption Several rainbow-themed hats are also being auctioned by Ascot for charity, including this design by London-based milliner Judy Bentinck

All photographs copyrighted.

More on this story

Related Internet links

The BBC is not responsible for the content of external Internet sites