Spot on! Kate mimics Diana’s racegoing style at Royal Ascot
The Duchess of Cambridge emulated Diana, Princess of Wales, as she attended Royal Ascot wearing a polka dot dress and earrings which once belonged to her mother-in-law.
The Duke and Duchess travelled in the first carriage of the traditional procession, before joining friends in the Royal Box for a day at the races on Friday.
The Queen did not attend the penultimate day of Ascot, despite having three horses running.
Wearing a brown and cream polka dot Alessandra Rich dress and a coordinating hat with floral details on top by Sally-Ann Provan, the Duchess mirrored a look from yesteryear when Diana, Princess of Wales wore a similar outfit to Ascot in 1988.
She also wore the South-Sea pearl earrings that previously belonged to the Duke’s mother.
The Cambridges have not attended the Berkshire meet for a number of years, partly due to the Covid lockdown, and were cheered by the crowds as they waved from their carriage and at the parade ring.
As the racing got under way, the delighted Duchess appeared to have chosen a Royal Ascot winner, as she grinned at a friend in mock shock after Perfect Power won the Commonwealth Cup.
Earlier in the day, they were photographed in a car at the Long Walk in Windsor, after they were said to have visited the Queen for lunch.
They were joined in their Ascot carriage by friend Arthur Vestey and his wife, Martha.
In the following carriage, was Peter Phillips and his girlfriend, Lindsay Wallace, who attended a number of events with the Queen’s grandson over the Platinum Jubilee weekend.
With temperatures climbing above 30C, Ascot organisers announced that the dress code would not be enforced in all enclosures and racegoers would be allowed to remove jackets and ties once the royal procession had ended.
A spokeswoman for Royal Ascot said: “This is all to do with the consideration of safety and guests are able to bring in soft drinks and water to stay hydrated and comfortable in this lovely weather.”
