The Royal Ascot horseracing festival is an integral part of the British summer social season, drawing large crowds to its grandstands in the county of Berkshire, England, close to Windsor Castle.
Its proximity to the royal family’s largest and oldest inhabited country residence has made it a regular feature in the diaries of some of its most popular members.
Queen Elizabeth II attended the events throughout her life, and King Charles III and Queen Camilla have taken up the mantle of making regular appearances.
Alongside the king and queen, several other members of the extended royal family include Royal Ascot in their annual diaries, including Prince William and Princess Kate.
Since their marriage in 2011, the couple have attended five times together, with this year being an exception as Kate continues her treatment for cancer.
The princess is widely considered one of the monarchy’s most stylish members, with her outfit choices for the Royal Ascot events becoming a highly anticipated aspect of the festival.
Here, Newsweek looks at Princess Kate’s five standout Royal Ascot fashion moments to date.
2016 – My Fair Lady
For her first Royal Ascot appearance as a member of the royal family in 2016, Princess Kate opted for a classic white lace dress which drew aesthetic links with the 1964 movie musical My Fair Lady.
The movie and stage show won praise for costumes shown in a scene depicting the Ascot opening race which were all created in shades of black and white.
Kate’s white lace dress was designed by Dolce & Gabbana and she paired it with a sculpted hat by milliner, Jane Taylor.
2017 – Chic in All-White
Kate’s second Royal Ascot appearance was made in 2017 and again, she opted for an all-white ensemble featuring a delicate white lace knee-length dress with three quarter length sleeves designed by the house of Alexander McQueen.
The princess paired her dress with diamond and pearl earrings and a small feather-embellished cocktail hat.
2019 – Pastel and Lace
In 2019, Kate pulled out the fashion stops for Royal Ascot, wearing a delicate blue day dress made by Lebanese designer, Elie Saab.
The layered tulle skirt and bodice featured lace and velvet embellishments, and were paired with silver high heeled pumps and an asymmetric floral hat by Philip Treacy.
2022 – Polka Dot Princess
Kate made her post-COVID pandemic return to the Royal Ascot festival in 2019, appearing in a striking day dress from vintage-inspired womenswear designer, Alessandra Rich.
The princess wore a long-sleeved dress with pleated bodice detail in white with a chocolate brown polka dot print. The royal paired the look with a saucer hat featuring floral embellishment from milliner Sally-Ann Provan.
2023 – Regal in Red
The princess’ most recent Royal Ascot appearance was made in 2023, where she debuted a new vivid red dress designed by the house of Alexander McQueen.
The dress featured enhanced shoulder details and a wrap-fronted bodice, and flowing skirt which was paired with another headwear creation by Philip Treacy.
James Crawford-Smith is Newsweek‘s royal reporter, based in London. You can find him on X, formerly Twitter, at @jrcrawfordsmith and read his stories on Newsweek‘s The Royals Facebook page.
Do you have a question about King Charles III and Queen Camilla, William and Princess Kate, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry, or their family that you would like our experienced royal correspondents to answer? Email royals@newsweek.com. We’d love to hear from you.
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