Here's Why Day Three of the Royal Ascot Is Called Ladies’ Day
In honor of this year's Ladies' Day, we're republishing this story from 2019, which explains the racing tradition.
Royal Ascot enters its third day—with all eyes on the extravagant hats, glamorous outfits, of course, the royals.
But the competition is far from over. Two of Ascot's most-hyped events take place on day three: the Gold Cup, Ascot's longest surviving race, and "Ladies’ Day."
The term dates back to 1823, when an anonymous poet described Thursday at Ascot as "Ladies' Day... when the women, like angels, look sweetly divine." The Sun notes that traditionally, women were given free or discounted tickets on Ladies' Day, which were otherwise only available to men.
While the gendered pay-scale is no longer in use, at many horse races in the U.K., Ladies' Days are synonymous with fashion competitions. At the Kelso Racecourse, for instance, there are awards for categories such as Best Dressed Lady, Best Dressed Couple, and Best Hat.
At Ascot, though, this isn't the case. While the term "Ladies' Day" is still used colloquially—and it's still the fashion highlight of the week's races—Ascot doesn't officially recognize it.
As the event's director of racing, Nick Smith, explained to The Telegraph in 2017, "Ladies’ Day" isn't mentioned any marketing or promotional materials. "We are comfortable with the public calling it that, but to market it as such would cause confusion as ladies’ days away from Ascot are completely different," he said. "We don’t have best dressed competitions–for either sex–and we don’t think catwalks and such like is what it is about."
Still, on the Royal Ascot website, they've found a way to allude to the day's reputation for sartorial excellence, without using the term "Ladies' Day." "With thousands turning out to see the coveted Gold Cup prize contested, fashion and glamour reach their zenith and designer creations and millinery masterpieces take centre stage," the description for Day Three reads.
The lack of official sign-off hasn't stopped attendees from dressing to the nines. "In this era of dressing down, it's an excuse to to dress up," Rachel Trevor-Morgan, one of Queen Elizabeth's go-to milliners, told the Telegraph in 2017. "With Her Majesty the Queen present, everyone wants to look smart and make a statement."
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