Royal Ascot fans dress to the nines at HOME as they go all out in glam dresses and huge hats
ROYAL Ascot may be taking place behind closed doors due to the pandemic, but that hasn’t stopped glam racing fans dressing to the nines in their own homes.
Many revellers have pulled out their fanciest frocks, towering stilettos and stylish hats for the occasion as they celebrate virtually from their own homes.
Many people have taken to social media to show off their stunning looks as they watch the horse racing from a distance.
Lots of the posts have been tagged as part of Ascot's Styled With Thanks campaign, which encourages people to dress up at home and share photos on social media to compete to win prizes such as racing tickets and afternoon tea.
The Queen will be absent from Royal Ascot for the first time in her 68-year reign as the meeting gets under way behind closed doors.
More than 300,000 racegoers, dressed in their finery, usually gather for the five-day sporting and social highlight which kicks off today.
My favourite week of the year is finally here! #RoyalAscot 🎩 This is my Tuesday #StyledWithThanks look 🐎 I can’t wait to see all of the wonderful outfits on here throughout the week. #millinery #hats #Ascot
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#styledwiththanks #RoyalAscot #rainbow #rainbowhat
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But this year there will be no monarch, no royal carriage procession, no trophy presentations and no spectators amid strict Government guidelines brought in when racing resumed on June 1.
Instead, people can watch the coverage on ITV and Sky Sports.
At Windsor Castle, the Queen, 94, will be watching the coverage on TV, not least of all because she has several runners.
As an owner, the Queen will have access to a virtual Royal Ascot parade ring to be able to view her horses from the safety of Windsor where she has been staying for the past 13 weeks during the pandemic.
The new online Racing Hub has been set up in light of the restrictions this year, and features real time weather data and a live 360 degree parade ring camera feed.
By this point in June I would usually have had several Ascot dress fittings with Suzannah, squeezed in a hat fitting in Rachel Trevor Morgan’s St James’s atelier, and canvassed all my relatives for hot tips in the Gold Cup. I still have the tips, but I will be watching Royal Ascot 2020 (Tuesday 16th to Saturday 20th June) at home as it takes place behind closed doors for the first time in the event’s history. So why am I strolling through Camden today in my @suzannahfashion dress and this ravishingly lovely cartwheel hat by @racheltrevormorgan? Ascot is inviting YOU to dress up as part of the Royal Ascot At Home campaign, wear a hat – whether it is a ladies’ hat or a men’s top hat, panama, trilby or other racing hat, and share a photo on social media using #StyledWithThanks and #RoyalAscot. Participants are being encouraged to donate £5 to the campaign fundraising page, and prizes will be given for the most Elegant, Original and Uplifting outfits across the week. And, if you have one of Rachel’s wonderful hats, tag her with #ascotbehindthegardenwall to be featured on her feed xx Dress: a gift from Suzannah Hat: loaned for the shoot by Rachel Trevor Morgan Heels: @lucychoilondon
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Nick Smith, director of racing at Ascot, said: "Whilst the ultimate experience of being at Royal Ascot sadly isn't possible this year, we hope that what we are planning will make ownership at home as special as possible.
"We are particularly pleased to be able to provide owners with a feed to the Parade Ring, and to be housing all the data that all horsemen need from real time weather and going reports to post race sectionals in one, convenient place."
The Queen is known for her love of horses, and she traditionally attends Ascot each year.
In 1955, the event was postponed because of the national rail strike and held in July instead, but the Queen still attended with her sister Princess Margaret.
In 2017, the Queen had to dash from the State Opening of Parliament to Ascot when her speech in the House of Lords fell on the second day of the meeting.
The Queen has won around £7 million in prize money from horse racing over the past three decades.
Here is the Royal Ascot dress code – what you should wear to the racecourse and latest rules.
And here are the start times, betting tips, runners and full preview of Royal Meeting on Tuesday live on ITV.
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