One fine day in 1711 Queen Anne was out riding near Windsor Castle when she stumbled upon an open expanse which looked, in her words, “ideal for horses to gallop at full stretch”. Thus, in August of that year, Ascot Racecourse was born. The Royal Ascot race meeting was inspiration for the “Ascot Gavotte” scene in My Fair Lady, while the racecourse itself features in multiple Bond films.
The event is generally considered the social occasion of the year, and notable faces from the British social scene are always present despite, for some, a distinct lack of interest in horses and horseracing. Royal Ascot has thus become something of a fashion show for lords, ladies and general glitterati alike – no doubt encouraged by the strict dress code, which requires a hat, headpiece or “hatinator”! Hence the theme of our latest card, At the Races.
