The Royal Family has been out in force this week for Royal Ascot 2024, with the likes of Queen Camilla, Duchess Sophie, Zara Tindall and Princess Beatrice leading the way in the style stakes.
But one behind-the-scenes moment you might have missed is Queen Camilla a potentially awkward moment between the Queen Consort and Mike Tindall, who narrowly missed knowing the royal's blue wide-brimmed hat when he lent in for a kiss. Despite the Philip Tracey headpiece making a stunning finishing touch to Camilla's outfit, its wide shape did present some challenges when it came to greetings. Luckily, Mike handled the situation like a pro, tilting his head to the side as she swooped in to greet him.
On the second day of Royal Ascot, Camilla opted for the statement wide-brim hat (a natural choice, given that hats are an essential item of the Royal Enclosure dress code at Royal Ascot) - and was seen having to manoeuvre during greetings to prevent a clash. A picture was shared on X (formerly Twitter) of the Queen Consort swooping in for another kiss to greet Mike Tindall, who again tilts his head to prevent a collision. 'Trying to work around the hats,' wrote one royal fan, while another said 'so cute'.
Zara and Mike Tindall greeting Queen Camilla at Royal Ascot 2024 pic.twitter.com/F1tdIsTCA4June 18, 2024
Zara and Camilla are also pictured together awkwardly greeting each other in a way where their hats don't collide, with Zara opting for an elegant pastel yellow hat with a vintage feel. Queen Camilla looked radiant in a cobalt blue coat dress crafted by couture designer Fiona Clare and a hat designed by famous royal milliner Philip Tracey.
Camilla's striking outfits haven't gone unnoticed this week, with the Queen consort opting for an array of stylish dresses in her favourite style - the coat dress - as well as a wrap-around shape. With every new outfit, Queen Camilla has been seen sporting a matching hat showing her fashion prowess with elegant and complementary designs.
Mike Tindall has been a firm fixture at Royal Ascot for many years - and it's clearly given him some practice in successfully avoiding a hat-based fashion faux pas. Last year he was snapped in the same predicament on the first day of Royal Ascot 2023.
For the occasion, the Queen wore a soft cream coat and dress, with a matching wide-brimmed hat, all from DIOR, paired with a piece of jewellery with special significance - her late mother-in-law, Queen Elizabeth II's, brooch.
Queen Camilla and Mike are pictured greeting each other again, with some careful head tilting in place to avoid a collision.
Mike Tindall also had the same issue when greeting his mother-in-law, Princess Anne. Princess Anne looked stylish in a red patterned dress and clashing blue hat for the occasion.
While fascinators are permitted in some enclosures, the more formal enclosures require a hat as part of the dress code. The royals can always be relied upon for impeccable formal style with Zara Tindall looking stylish in a summery yellow outfit, Duchess Sophie perfecting floral dressing, and Carole Middleton looking radiant in a powder blue dress while being supported by Prince William.
The dates for Royal Ascot 2024 are Tuesday 18 June to Saturday 22 June 2024 with the most prestigious week in the racing calendar ending today.
