Royal Ascot is lauded as one of the most sought after and prestigious British experiences and horse racing events in the world.
The five-day event attracts over 200,000 people through it’s gates every year, all hoping to brush shoulders with racing and actual royalty.
Although this was the first year that the Queen did not make an appearance, sightings of the junior Royals including Princess Beatrice, the Countess of Wessex and Zara Tindell enjoying the racing didn’t disappoint.
This was a chance to see the Royal family let loose with the best of British racing.
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Of course, to really feel the opulence of Royal Ascot and to enjoy the VIP experience, an invite into the Royal Enclosure is the one ticket to have.
Our reporter Nicole McBride was one of the lucky few to be given the privilege of not only a guest invite but also entrance into the Summer Terrace, the private lounge set alongside the racetrack with it’s own sun terrace.
The Royal Enclosure comes with top class restaurants, a prime spot overlooking the parade ring and, in my case, all the champagne you could drink!!
The first sighting of the Royal Enclosure gates gave me goosebumps. The separate entrance takes you straight into the grounds without the need to join the rabble at the main gates.
Entrance to this enclosure is by invitation only. To apply for membership applicants must be referred by two members that have attended the enclosure for at least four years. However, guest invites are incredibly sought after on the week of Royal Ascot.
The experience within the Royal Enclosure and the Queen Anne Enclosure truly is like night and day having cut their numbers by a few thousand in both.
With the sun beating down, it truly looked like a scene from Bridgerton. Bottles of champagne on every table and lounging patrons donned in their finery was a sight to behold.
The ticket also came with the obligatory dress code that has been put in place for hundreds of years. For ladies, dresses and skirts must fall below the knee or longer and dresses and tops must have straps of one inch or greater. The emphasis on hats in Royal Ascot means that in the topmost enclosure a hat or headpiece with a base greater than 10cm is a rule that must be followed.
Although the rules were changed to allow men to remove their jackets and top hats under the sun, many choose to decline the change until the end of the day.
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After the final race ended and horses and jockeys were awarded their prizes in the Parade Ring, the two top enclosures were invited down to the Bandstand where thousands of ‘slightly tipsy’ racegoers joined in on the famous British sing-along-along.
This included choruses of classic British songs. In comparison to the quiet elegance of the Royal Enclosure this came as quite a surprise however, the atmosphere around the bandstand would truly put a smile on anyone’s face.
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