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Royal Ascot

Notes from Royal Ascot.

Did the Princess of Wales Dictate Ascot's Palette?

Did the Princess of Wales Dictate Ascot's Palette?

Ascot has gone more than three centuries without feeling the need to name an official colour. This year, it finally did. The Royal Ascot Handbook, unveiled back in April and rebranded from what used to be the more modest Lookbook, named its first ever Colour of the Year: Bright Tomato.

Royal Ascot Morning Dress: A Guide for the Royal Enclosure

Royal Ascot Morning Dress: A Guide for the Royal Enclosure

The Royal Ascot Royal Enclosure is by invitation only. Attendance requires either nomination from an existing member or approval via formal application. It is, by design, a place apart—more restrained than the grandstand, and with a dress code that is closely observed.

Hiring Morning Dress in London for Royal Ascot

Hiring Morning Dress in London for Royal Ascot

Not everyone attending the Royal Enclosure owns morning dress, nor need they. The Royal Enclosure requires morning dress as a rule—black or grey morning coat, waistcoat, striped trousers, and top hat—whilst other enclosures at Royal Ascot allow more relaxed attire.

Royal carriages with liveried coachmen and horses arriving at Royal Ascot, set against green parkland and a distant castle.

What Makes Royal Ascot Royal? A Brief History of the Meet

Every June, the green turf of Berkshire becomes the setting for a singular spectacle—Royal Ascot. With top-class racing, improbable hats, and royalty in carriages, it's easy to take the whole thing for granted. But what, precisely, makes it royal?

Ascot accessories including green tie, paisley pocket square, cufflinks, stickpin, and pale yellow lapel flower, arranged on a blue jacket, with “Ascot Accessories” text overlay.

Last‑Minute Accessories for Ascot

With Royal Ascot approaching, the core elements of your morning dress—coat, waistcoat, trousers—are likely in place. But it's the Royal Ascot accessories that set the tone.

Victorian cartoon from 1884 showing a lively crowd of men and women betting and socialising at Royal Ascot, with bookmakers, racegoers in top hats, and period dress.

How to Bet at Royal Ascot (Without Looking Like a Fool)

Royal Ascot may be known for waistcoats and wide brims, but at its heart, it is a meeting of horses—and those who wish to back them. Betting is as much a part of the tradition as the pageantry, and for many, it's part of the fun.