King Charles kicks off Royal Ascot with newest family member – but Beatrice and Eugenie stay away
The first day of Royal Ascot has got underway today with the King and Queen attending the opening of the 2026 festival – and the carriage procession included the Royal Family’s newest member
King Charles and Queen Camilla on the first day of Royal Ascot today (Image: WireImage)
King Charles and Queen Camilla officially kicked off Royal Ascot with cheers and the traditional carriage procession, which today included the Royal Family’s newest member.
The couple led the royal party in the carriages for the first day of racing, with Camilla wearing a blue dress with floral embellisment. They were joined in their carriage by their close friends Duke and Duchess of Wellington. Meanwhile, following behind in the second carriage was the King’s sister Princess Anne and her newlywed son, Peter Phillips with his new wife Harriet.
It has marked the first official event for the couple since they tied the knot in a Cotswolds wedding earlier this month, which was attended by nearly all senior members of the Royal Family.
The King and Queen cheer on the horses (Image: WireImage)
Harriet wore baby blue and was listed under her new surname of Phillips while her new mother-in-law Anne. Other royals in the carriage procession today, included the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester.
Not in the procession today but still there to enjoy the racing action was the King’s niece Zara Tindall, who wore a lilac dress and matching boating hat and posed for photographers alongside her former England rugby-playing husband, Mike. Zara was later seen dropping into a deep curtsey and greeting her uncle, the King, with a kiss on the cheek as they mingled in the parade ring, while Mike shared a joke with the King as he showed him an object that looked like a miniature top hat.
Later in the royal box, Charles and Camilla were seen cheering on the horses as they were joined by the Queen’s son, Tom Parker Bowles, while newlyweds Harriet and Peter sipped champagne as they beamed at each other.
However, other regular Royal Ascot goers Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie did not attend the first day of racing. A question mark still hangs over whether disgraced Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s daughters will attend the race meeting, which runs until Saturday, amid the scandal embroiling their father and their own rent row.
The newlyweds beam at each other as they sip champagne in the Royal Box (Image: Getty Images)
It comes as both Charles and Camilla wished racegoers a âthrillingâ week of action at Royal Ascot as they championed the famous meetâs green credentials.
Charles and Camilla described how the major racing event attracts some of the best horses from across the globe ridden by leading jockeys and watched by vast television audiences.
Writing the foreword to the official race-day programme, the royal couple also said âhow hard it is to win races at Royal Ascotâ and that they will be pinning their hopes on five of their thoroughbreds entered this week.
Known for supporting measures tackling climate change, the King, together with the Queen, highlighted how since last June, 1,200 solar panels had been installed on the grandstandâs roof â âanother important step in the racecourseâs sustainability journeyâ.
Newest member of the Royal Family Harriet Phillips alongside mother-in-law, Princess Anne (Image: David Davies/PA Wire)
The royal couple said in the programme: âWe wish you a very warm welcome to Royal Ascot, which promises to deliver another spectacular week of racing. Some of the best horses from Europe, North America, Asia and Australasia are expected to run this week and they will be watched by viewers in close to 200 countries.â
Royal Ascot in Berkshire is as much a social occasion as a sporting event and racegoers are known for wearing eye-catching hats, stylish summer dresses and top hat and tails as champagne and pints are consumed as bets are placed.
Harriet wore a baby blue dress and matching hat (Image: Getty Images)
Zara and Mike Tindall on the first day of Royal Ascot(Image: UK Press via Getty Images)
Charles and Camilla said: âSince last June, over 1,200 solar panels have been installed on the 480-metre-long roof of the grandstand â this marks another important step in the racecourseâs sustainability journey. The global bloodstock industry sees the Royal Meeting as a highlight of the year and some horses that succeed in this fiercely competitive week will influence the breed for generations to come.â
The royal couple took on the late Queenâs stable of horses and have become enthusiastic racehorse owners and enjoyed their first Royal Ascot win in 2023 when their thoroughbred Desert Hero won the King George V Stakes. They will be hoping for a winner on the track from their five horses entered for the meet.
