The royals arrived in the carriage procession.
William and Kate travelled in the third royal carriage today with The Earl and Countess of Wessex.
The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh travelled in carriage 1 with The Duke of York and Lord Vestey.
Carriage 2 arrived with The Prince of Wales, the Duchess of Cornwall, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie while Peter and Autumn Phillips and Lord Fellowes and Lady Jane Fellowes travelled in Carriage 4. Of course Lady Jane is one of Diana's older sisters.
A video showing the carriage procession.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are present at #RoyalAscot for today's racing as Her Majesty The Queen leads the Royal Procession pic.twitter.com/3bDK8ovUND— Ascot Racecourse (@Ascot) June 20, 2017
There was quite a funny moment when Sophie lost her balance as she stood up to exit the carriage and fell into Kate's arms. The two had a good giggle about it judging from the photo. More from The Telegraph "The Countess of Wessex was lucky she fell near a safe pair of hands at the Royal Ascot. The Royal fell into the arms of the Duchess of Cambridge, who looked shocked. However, shock soon turned into mirth as the pair were seen laughing as Prince William smiled in the background."
The Cambridges made their debut at the prestigious event last year in honour of Her Majesty's 90th birthday. Knowing how much the Queen loves Ascot, it seemed the perfect time to enjoy an afternoon at the racecourse, located just six miles from Windsor Castle. The couple's attendance today would seem to confirm suggestions it's an event we'll see on their calendar with some regularity moving forward.
A minute's silence was held before the start of racing following the recent terror attacks and Grenfell Tower fire.The racecourse says it will also make a £100,000 donation to charities helping those who have been affected. Racecourse chairman Johnny Weatherby said: "We have all been deeply saddened by recent tragic events around the country. At the beginning of this important week for racing, we wish to pay our respects to the victims and offer support to the families who have been so terribly affected."
A video of the sombre moment.
Ascot falls silent as a mark of respect after recent tragic events around Britain pic.twitter.com/EtJqaVmH4S— Ascot Racecourse (@Ascot) June 20, 2017
The Duchess warmly greets Zara Tindall.
Kate and Zara share a laugh as they chat before the races commence. Mike and Zara Tindall always come across as incredibly warm and down to earth, I think William and Kate greatly enjoy their company.
In The Queen's message to racegoers she wrote "I always look forward to my time at Royal Ascot. In 1711, Queen Anne declared Ascot to be "ideal for horses to gallop at full stretch". Ever since, the finest horses have raced here and that will certainly be the case again this week".
A very nice shot of William and Kate mingling with guests.
Kate's parents Michael and Carole Middleton were also there.
It looks like Carole wore the same Jane Corbett hat from the royal wedding with the pacific blue Devon Sweet-Heart Neckline Dress by Goat.
Below, we see Kate and Carole with Laura Meade. Laura's husband James is one of William's closest friends and one of Princess Charlotte's godparents. It's an exciting time for the couple who will be welcoming a new arrival to the family in the coming months.
Does Laura's ensemble look familiar? If so, it's because it's the same look she wore for Pippa's wedding last month. James and Laura Meade are pictured at the wedding with another of Charlotte's godparents - Sophie Carter.
The Duke and Duchess presented a trophy to the winner of the King's Stand Stakes.
The marching band performing near the Bandstand Lawn.
It looks like the Duke and Duchess very much enjoyed the afternoon.
Day One of Royal Ascot is widely acknowledged to be amongst the best racing days anywhere in the world with three Group One races and Ascot’s premier two-year-old race, the Group Two Coventry Stakes. Over 300,000 people make the annual visit to Berkshire during Royal Ascot week, making this Europe’s best-attended race meeting. It is a major event in the British social calendar.
There are three enclosures attended by guests on Royal Ascot week. The Royal Enclosure is the most prestigious of the three, with recent visits by the Queen and Royal family members. Access to the Royal Enclosure is restricted, with high security on the day.
Not only is Royal Ascot a highlight on the racing calendar, it's also synonymous with sartorial elegance. Ascot shared on their website "This is upheld by our dress code, which invites guests to contribute to an occasion heralded as a major fashion event in its own right. We are delighted to bring you a selection of looks put together to guide and inspire you what to wear to the Royal Meeting." For the Royal Enclosure ladies are asked to note that formal daywear is a requirement. Dresses and skirts should be of modest length and jackets. For the first time this year, women will be able to wear jumpsuits in the Royal Enclosure at Ascot this summer following a change to the dress code. Organisers said the acceptance of the jumpsuit reflected Ascot's "awareness of seasonal trends".
Last year, Kate selected her white lace Dolce & Gabbana dress teamed with a Jane Taylor hat, Gianvito Rossi 'Praline' Pumps and the L.K. Bennett Natalie Clutch.
Kate opted for a white lace dress again this year - this time by her favourite brand Alexander McQueen. The white cotton blend and silk lace dress features delicate pleats, a high neck, three-quarter sleeves and a flared skirt.
Kate's Closet correctly notes Kate's is based on the off-the-rack dress seen below. It is available at FarFetch in limited sizes for $1,853. It's also available at Harrods.
 |
| FarFetch |
A closer look at the floral detail.
 |
| FarFetch |
The Duchess wore a new bespoke hat.
A closer look at Kate's updo.
Kate accessorised with the Queen's Bahrain Pearl Drop Earrings.
Kate accessorised with the Queen's Bahrain Pearl Drop Earrings.
In 1947 the then Princess Elizabeth received seven larger pearls from the ruler of Bahrain, and two of the pearls were used to create the beautiful pair of earrings.
 |
| From Her Majesty's Jewel Vault |
From Her Majesty's Jewel Vault reports: "The earrings each contain one large round diamond and four smaller ones, three baguette diamonds, and a Bahrain pearl dangling below. The Queen seems to have worn them mainly in the early years of her reign; they were later unearthed for the Buckingham Palace summer exhibit marking her 60th wedding anniversary." More recently they were loaned to the Countess of Wessex and now the Duchess of Cambridge.
 |
| From Her Majesty's Jewel Vault /i-images |
Kate carried a new clutch today by Loeffler Randall (with thanks to the talented ladies over at What Kate Wore FB).
The $275 bag is described as "Loeffler Randall's 'Tab' clutch is handcrafted from lizard-effect leather in a soft blush hue. Perfect for day or night, this design opens to a surprisingly spacious twill-lined interior complete with a zipped pocket for smaller items." The piece is sold out in blush but remains available in ivory (reduced to $144) at Saks Fifth Avenue and in a texture-rich melon and ivory (reduced by 40%) at ShopBop.
 |
| Net-A-Porter |
Kate wore her Gianvito Rossi 'praline' pumps again this year. They remain available at My Theresa.
 |
| My Theresa |
And a look at Kate's name badge.
I loved Kate's dress today; though she opted for white lace again, the structure and elements of the dress were quite different and, I felt, superior to the Dolce & Gabbana worn last year. The high neck, peplum detail and full skirt made the garment a perfect choice for Ascot. Are we seeing the beginning of a tradition of Kate wearing white to the prestigious races? What do you think of the look?
************
Before closing, we have a couple of brief updates to share. Kensington Palace announced today, the Duchess will visit the Victoria & Albert Museum on Thursday, 29 June to open the new V&A Exhibition Road Quarter.
And our lovely reader Natalia emailed to share news the red and navy Petit Bateau top Kate wore in Vogue has been updated and re-released. The updated version is identical to Kate's except the navy stripes are thicker. The top is available at Petit Bateau for £39 and Zalando (discounted by 40%) for £23.
What are the odds of seeing William and Kate at Ascot again this week? Should they choose to attend again, the Duke of Cambridge stakes runs tomorrow.
