by Scott Mehl © Unofficial Royalty 2015
source: Zimbio
This article discusses the history of Royal Ascot, and many of the details during the reign of the late Queen Elizabeth II. With the accession of King Charles III in September 2022, it is likely that the events surrounding Royal Ascot will evolve. At that time, we will update the information below.
Each year, the third week of June marks Royal Ascot. Also known as the Royal Meeting, it is held from Tuesday through Saturday at the Ascot Racecourse, and has been a highlight of the royal calendar since the 1820s.
Queen Anne founded the Ascot Racecourse in 1711, and the inaugural event – Her Majesty’s Plate – was held later the same year. It would be some years later that the Royal Meeting would find its origins. The first 4-day meeting was held in 1768, but the current event seems to have begun with the first running of the Gold Cup in 1807, in the presence of King George III and Queen Charlotte. In 1813, Parliament enacted legislation to ensure that Ascot Racecourse would remain a public racecourse. A few years later, it was King George IV who began the tradition of the Royal Procession, marking the daily arrival of the Sovereign. Like many of her predecessors, Queen Elizabeth II attended nearly every year of her reign.
Comprised of over 30 races, in different classes, there are seven Group 1 events. The first is the Queen Anne Stakes, honoring the founder of the racecourse. The Group 1 events are:
- Queen Anne Stakes – Tuesday
- King’s Stand Stakes – Tuesday
- St James’s Palace Stakes – Tuesday
- Prince of Wales’s Stakes – Wednesday
- Ascot Gold Cup – Thursday
- Coronation Stakes – Friday
- Diamond Jubilee Stakes – Saturday
Of these, the most prominent is the Gold Cup, held on Thursday. The trophy was usually presented to the winner by The Queen. However, in 2013, The Queen was the winner! While she had 22 winners at Royal Ascot over the years, this was the one and only time that she won the Gold Cup. She was awarded the trophy by The Duke of York.
Each day begins with the Royal Procession, at which time the Queen and other members of the Royal Family processed in open horse-drawn carriages. They were often accompanied by other foreign royals, extended family, and invited guests. The procession travelled along the track, in front of the racegoers, and the Royal Standard was raised. The Queen then proceeded to the Royal Box in the Royal Enclosure to watch the day’s events.
The Royal Enclosure is the most exclusive area of the grounds, and access is very limited. Strict dress codes are also enforced, with women required to wear a dress and hat, and men required to wear morning dress with a top hat. Each year, one sees all kinds of hats – from very stylish and demure, to over-the-top creations. One wonders how one manages to see any of the racing when seated behind some of them!
And it isn’t just the hats that draw a lot of media attention. Massive amounts of wagers were placed on which color The Queen would be wearing each day of the event.
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