Kate to the rescue as Sophie’s a faller at Royal Ascot
LOSING her footing and lurching across the carriage, it was hardly the elegant entrance to Royal Ascot that she was hoping for.
But luckily for Sophie Wessex, as a mother of two the Duchess of Cambridge clearly knows a thing or two about quick reactions.
As Kate held out her arms to catch the countess, 52, the two women saw the funny side and both burst into hysterical laughter.
But the duchess, 35, showed no sign of losing her cool in the 30C heat as the pair prepared for the Royal Procession. She wore a white lace dress by Alexander McQueen, which bore a striking resemblance to her outfit last year.
She teamed the £4,463 dress, which featured a high neck detail and scalloped edging, with a bespoke white hat and nude heels, while Sophie wore a rather warm-looking emerald green outfit with a large wicker hat. The Queen, who led racegoers in a minute’s silence in memory of the victims of the Grenfell Tower fire and London and Manchester terror attacks, opted for a lime green ensemble.
She was joined for the first day of the prestigious race meeting – which saw heightened security including armed police officers – by the Duke of Edinburgh, the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall.
But while the royal ladies stuck to tradition by wearing dresses or skirts, hordes of female racegoers turned up wearing trendy jumpsuits. The ensembles ranged from chic tailored versions to ones with garish floral prints.
Up until this year, women could only wear skirts, dresses or fulllength trouser suits for the Royal Meeting, with the strictest dress code applying to the Royal Enclosure, where dresses had to fall just above the knee or longer.
However, organisers announced earlier this year that they would be changing the dress code in response to ‘seasonal trends’, and would be allowing jumpsuits for the first time.
Dress codes were also relaxed for the men yesterday – but this was due to the heatwave. Race organisers allowed gentlemen to remove their jackets in the stifling heat.
However, despite being given the option, most male racegoers bravely stuck with tradition, declining to shed their suit jackets and heavy tailcoats.
Dress code allows ‘seasonal trends’