King Charles and Queen Camilla Make Grand Entrance as Royal Ascot Begins
King Charles and Queen Camilla Make Grand Entrance as Royal Ascot Begins
Janine HenniTue, June 16, 2026 at 1:53 PM UTC
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King Charles and Queen Camilla attend day one of Royal Ascot 2026 at Ascot Racecourse on June 16, 2026 in Ascot, EnglandCredit: Samir Hussein/WireImage -
King Charles and Queen Camilla attended the start of Royal Ascot on June 16
The royal couple led the Royal Procession and traveled in horse-drawn carriage
Royal Ascot has been a social staple on the royal family's annual calendar for generations and an official Royal Week since 1911
King Charles and Queen Camilla are trotting into tradition at Royal Ascot.
On June 16, the King, 77, and Queen, 78, led the Royal Procession at Royal Ascot at Ascot Racecourse as the special week of horse races officially began.
The royal couple arrived at the race track via horse-drawn carriage in the first carriage, where they were accompanied by the Duke and Duchess of Wellington. Following behind in the second carriage was Princess Anne, Harriet Sperling and Peter Phillips (making their newlywed debut after marrying on June 6!) and Queen Camilla's nephew Sir Ben Elliot.
The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester and Queen Camilla's niece Alice Elliot appeared in later carriages of the Royal Procession, while Princess Anne's equestrian daughter Zara Tindall and her husband Mike Tindall were also spotted at Ascot.
King Charles and Queen Camilla attend day one of Royal Ascot 2026 at Ascot Racecourse on June 16, 2026 in Ascot, England.Credit: Samir Hussein/WireImage
King Charles and Queen Camilla then headed to the Royal Enclosure, which comes with a strict dress code: hats and knee-length dresses or skirts for ladies and top hats with morning suits for gentlemen.
Their stylish arrival officially kicked off the 2026 edition of Royal Ascot, which runs from Tuesday, June 16 to Saturday, June 20.
The King and Queen also penned a message that will appear in the program this week.
Princess Anne and Harriet Sperling at arrive by horse-drawn carriage on the first day of the Royal Ascot horse racing meeting in Ascot on June 16, 2026.Credit: JUSTIN TALLIS / AFP via Getty
"We wish you a very warm welcome to Royal Ascot which promises to deliver another spectacular week of racing. Some of the best horses from Europe, North America and Australasia are expected to run this week and they will be watched by viewers in close to 200 countries," the royals' message began, according to fan blog Royal Central.
The King and Queen shouted out recent improvements to the facility that will be featured this week, from the newly refurbished Weighing Room and Changing Facilities to the installation of 1,200 solar panels on the Grandstand roof, marking "another important in the racecourse's sustainability journey."
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Royal procession arrives on day one of the Royal Ascot 2026 at Ascot Racecourse on June 16, 2026 in Ascot, England.Credit: Steve Bardens/Getty
The royals described Royal Ascot as "a highlight of the year" for the global horse racing industry and shared a personal reflection on the competition's impact.
"As owner breeders ourselves, we know hard it is to win races at Royal Ascot and we wish our fellow breeders, both at home and abroad, the best of luck in this most fascinating of challenges," said the King and Queen, who inherited Queen Elizabeth's beloved racehorses after her death in 2022.
"We hope that you have a successful week and that you enjoy the thrilling action on the track, as well as everything else that Royal Ascot has to offer," they concluded, signing off with their regnal signatures, "Charles R" and "Camilla R."
King Charles attends day one of Royal Ascot 2026 at Ascot Racecourse on June 16, 2026 in Ascot, England.Credit: Chris Jackson/Getty
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Despite its royal moniker, Royal Ascot isn't a royal family event or organized by the palace. Instead, the spectacle is a special week of horse races put on by Ascot each year in June, drawing about 300,000 visitors over the five days in what's considered Britain's most popular race meeting.
The royal family has supported Ascot Racecourse since Queen Anne established it in 1711 and 200 years later, Royal Ascot officially became a Royal Week in 1911.
Zara Tindall and Mike Tindall attend day one of Royal Ascot 2026 at Ascot Racecourse on June 16, 2026 in Ascot, England.Credit: Chris Jackson/Getty
The event has been a social staple on royal family's summer calendar for generations, with different combinations of family members typically attending on different days.
King Charles has attended Royal Ascot every year since his accession to the throne in 2023 and was in for a win then when his horse Desert Hero won the King George V Stakes, an emotional moment at his first Ascot as monarch.
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