Royal Ascot 2019: The most colourful and experimental fashion looks from Kate Middleton to Jodie Kidd

Royal Ascot is officially underway and the sartorial stakes are already high.

The annual horseracing event started on Tuesday with royals, supermodels, and celebrities alike donning their finest coattails, wide-brimmed hats, and “modest length” dresses at the Berkshire racecourse.

On the first day of the sporting occasion, the Duchess of Cambridge made her return to Ascot wearing an Elie Saab duck egg-blue lace dress with a bow fastening at the neck.

The royal, who was absent from last year’s race day while on maternity leave with her third child, Prince Louis, teamed the look with a matching Philip Treacy hat, a taupe clutch bag, and Kiki McDonough drop earrings.

TV presenters Charlotte Hawkins and Kate Silverton shone in red toned-dresses at the event, while Australian model Georgia Fowler wore a draped, dusty- pink floor-length dress, accessorised with a mint-green handbag, and a nude-hued hat.

From large hats to ankle-grazing skirts, take a look at the gallery above to see the best looks from Royal Ascot 2019.

The event first began in 1711 and has been widely regarded as one of the most important fashion events in the UK calendar.

Guests attending the event are invited to keep to a strict dress code depending on which enclosure they're granted access to: Royal, Queen Anne, Village, and Windsor.

Keep up-to-date with all Royal Ascot 2019 news here.