Hold on to your hats...Royal Ascot Ladies Day 21 June 2012
Ladies Day at Royal Ascot this Diamond Jubilee year was just as exciting even though glamorous outfits were accompanied by brollies and rain macs on an overcast day with short intervals of sunshine. So in true British mode racegoers arrived at Royal Ascot in style ready for a day at the races.
After lunch at the Ascot Grill my mother and I took our places at the Parade Ring for the arrival of the traditional Royal procession at 2pm a highlight of the day at Ascot. Umbrellas swiftly went up during a short burst of rain but luckily rain had stopped just before the Royal procession approached. Hundreds of eager spectators gathered in the Parade Ring and cheered the Royal family as the horse drawn carriages paraded round the Ring. The Royal family including HM The Queen, HRH Prince Phillip, Princess Anne, Princesses Beatrice and Eugene, Prince & Princess Michael of Kent and Countess of Wessex along with Carole & Michael Middleton mingled with guests and foreign dignitaries including regular Royal Ascot attendees Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum of Dubai and his wife Princess Haya of Jordan.
We left the Parade Ring and made our way to the racecourse enclosure to place small bets for the 2nd race ‘The Ribblesdale Stakes' and 3rd race ‘The Gold Cup.' Fortunately the horses I selected in both the two races won including the Gold Cup horse ‘Colour Vision' ridden by champion jockey Frankie Dettori, so I was well pleased.
As always much of the focus was on Ascot fashion and several ladies wore vibrant colours brightening up the scene on a dank day. We also saw Jubilee inspired outfits, classic elegant ensembles as well as avant-garde creations. Ladies even wore boots this year due to windy rainy weather.
As Ladies Day at Royal Ascot drew to a close we tiptoed across fields trying to avoid ditches and noticed some women wearing stiletto heels had sunk into muddy ground. By that time I'm sure some people wished they could have swapped their designer shoes for designer Wellies!
© Article and photos below by Gina Chrysanthou
From left: Countess of Wessex, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and Princess Haya
Mrs Edward Claridge Amita Chatterji & Gina Chrysanthou
Amita Chatterji Gina Chrysanthou
HM Queen Elizabeth II and HRH Prince Phillip
Princess Beatrice (right) Princess Eugene (centre) Carole Middleton (red outfit)
Jockies Line-up
From left: Countess of Wessex, Princess & Prince Michael of Kent
Frankie Dettori after winning Gold Cup on horse 'Colour Vision'
Please click link below to view the full photo collection published in Gallery:
Royal Ascot Ladies Day 2012