No one had a better time at Royal Ascot than Carole Middleton it seems, as she delivered race day glamour, held court in the Royal Box and reunited with senior members of The Firm – all in one day.
All eyes were on Kate’s 71-year-old mother as she arrived for day two of the prestigious British racing event on Wednesday alongside her rarely-pictured daughter-in-law, Alizee Thevenet.
Dressed for the festival that is just as famous for its fashion as the racing, Carole repurposed the dress she wore for her daughter Pippa Middleton‘s wedding nine years ago in a sartorial twist that left royal fans delighted.
When she joined the Princess of Wales in the Royal Box, Carole couldn’t help but look adoringly at Catherine, who returned to Ascot after a two-year absence due to her cancer diagnosis and treatment.
Photos showed Catherine holding the door open for her mother before the pair were seen holding hands, whispering to each other and enjoying what appeared to be an animated catch-up.
As the races got underway, Carole settled in for an action-packed afternoon with a beverage as footage showed her cheering for the horses and chatting with Prince William‘s childhood friend and Princess Charlotte‘s godfather Thomas van Straubenzee.
Other famous faces in the Royal Box yesterday included Sir Gareth Southgate, Princess Anne and Lady Sarah Chatto, whose friendship with Carole was on full display.
Princess Margaret’s daughter was seen smiling at Carole during a rare candid moment, as it appeared Prince William’s mother-in-law has firmly cemented her status as a royal insider.
No one had a better time at Royal Ascot than Carole Middleton it seems, as she delivered race day glamour, held court in the Royal Box and reunited with senior members of The Firm – all in one day
As the races got underway, Kate’s mother, 71, settled in for an action-packed afternoon with a beverage
The Middleton matriarch appeared to be ageing backwards as she repurposed the blush pink Catherine Walker ensemble for a day out at the races in Berkshire.
She paired the designer dress with a matching hat and shoes, both from Emmy London, as well as £2,150 amethyst and diamond earrings from Kiki McDonough – one of Catherine’s favourite brands.
Inside the Royal Box, Carole joined King Charles, 77, and Queen Camilla, 78, as well as the Prince and Princess of Wales, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, and the Princess Royal – who recycled a 25-year-old pink dress for the occasion – to watch the races.
Like her mother, Catherine also repurposed an earlier dress for Royal Ascot, bringing the sunshine in a canary-yellow piece from Roksanda, which she debuted back in 2022 for an official visit to Jamaica.
She paired it with a matching wide-brimmed Pomona hat by Jane Taylor Millinery, while Prince William pinned yellow flowers to his lapel to complement his wife’s ensemble.
Her outfit was completed with nude Gianvito Rossi heels, an Anya Hindmarch clutch, Queen Elizabeth’s diamond earrings and Princess Diana’s pearl necklace, worn as a bracelet.
The racing action continues at Ascot today as glamorous racegoers put their best fashion foot forward for Ladies Day – as the UK braces for the start of a six-day heatwave.
Carole joined her daughter, the Princess of Wales, in the Royal Box at Ascot yesterday
Carole sharing a laugh with daughter-in-law Alizee, the wife of James Middleton
Bright summer dresses, vibrant frocks and extravagant headpieces were all on display as thousands of revellers descended on the racecourse in Berkshire this morning.
White crisp frocks and pastel ensembles appeared to be the theme of the day for many as they dressed for the scorching British weather, with temperatures expected to rise to 30C during the heatwave, which starts today.
A static area of high pressure building across mainland Europe – known as a ‘heat dome’ – is bringing increasingly warm and humid air to southern England.
London, the East, South East and South West were placed under an amber alert, while the Midlands faces a yellow warning. There are no alerts for the North.
These warnings run from midday today until next Tuesday at 8pm – although the Met Office forecast currently suggests the heatwave could last until at least Wednesday.
The amber alert states that the areas covered are likely to see ‘a rise in deaths, particularly among those aged 65 and over or with health conditions’, while ‘significant impacts are likely across health and social care services’ due to the heat.
At Royal Ascot, temperatures reached around 22C this morning and are expected to reach 27C by the afternoon. Racegoers will be joined in the sunshine by several senior members of the Royal Family, who will make their appearance at 2pm for the carriage procession.
Royal Ascot, the jewel in the crown of the UK racing calendar, started on Tuesday with the Queen Anne Stakes and will run until Saturday.
Carole pictured chatting with her daughter-in-law Alizee (left) on the second day of the British racing event
Lady Sarah Chatto’s friendship with Carole was on full display yesterday
Dressed for the festival that is just as famous for its fashion as the racing, Carole repurposed the dress she wore for her daughter Pippa Middleton’s wedding nine years ago
Carole seemed right at home in the Royal Box
Earlier this year, Carole proved she’s a trusted member of the royal inner circle when she attended the Cheltenham Festival.
Although Catherine did not attend Ladies Day with her mother, Carole was still clearly at ease in the company of her daughter’s in-laws and was even seen throwing her arms around no-nonsense Princess Anne – who is not usually one for public displays of affection.
After arriving arm-in-arm with Zara Tindall, Carole also left royal fans amused when she tried politely to avert her eyes as Mike Tindall planted a kiss on his wife’s lips.
It comes after a royal expert revealed how Carole plays a ‘very special role’ in the lives of her grandchildren, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis, adding that she has a ‘calming influence’.
Speaking to the Daily Mail, Richard Fitzwilliams said: ‘Carole has been constant and has a calming influence. She has been indispensable in helping with meals, with the school run and also having fun with the grandchildren.
‘This was “the Diana touch”. Diana had wanted her sons to experience a cinema, enjoy a McDonald’s, a trip to a theme park or informal dinners. Diana could offer empathy with a magical touch, as the world knows.’
Carole has often been spotted on the school run, and previously reported to have taken Britain’s future King, young Prince George, shopping while she picked out carpets.
‘I had popped in to pick up some wallpaper samples and Prince George had gone in with his granny, Carole Middleton,’ Sally Pellow, 64, told HELLO! at the time. ‘He was beautifully dressed and sitting at a desk eating bits of orange.’
Indeed, Carole once described herself as a ‘very hands-on’ grandmother who liked to ‘muck around dancing’ with all seven of her grandchildren and play a loving role in raising Britain’s youngest royals.
‘I want to run down the hills, climb the trees and go through the tunnel at the playground. As long as I am able to, that’s what I’ll be doing. I cook with them, I muck around dancing, we go on bike rides,’ she told Good Housekeeping in 2021.
Royal commentators Jennie Bond and Tom Quinn have previously claimed that it will be Carole and her beloved husband Michael, 76, who will have a bigger influence on George, Charlotte and Louis than the Royal Family.
In Channel 5’s When the Middletons Met the Monarchy, Mr Quinn said: ‘I suspect everyone thinks that in terms of the children, the royal family will inevitably have the most influence, but that is entirely wrong.
‘It will be the Middletons that have the influence, because the royal family is too formal, it’s too stuck in its ways.’
Meanwhile, Ms Bond added: ‘Kate will always turn to Carole for help, advice guidance, and just get together and romping around with the kids – possibly before she would get together with Camilla and Charles.’
