Members of the Royal Family descended upon Cheltenham Festival in force today as Ladies Day made its long-awaited comeback following a seven-year hiatus from the beloved racing tradition.
Queen Camilla, Princess Anne, Zara Tindall and Carole Middleton were among the prominent attendees at the Gloucestershire racecourse on Wednesday.
For Zara and her husband Mike Tindall, the occasion marked their second consecutive day at the races.
Thousands of racegoers gathered to witness the revival of the cherished festival custom, with senior royals adding considerable glamour to proceedings.
Members of the Royal Family descended upon Cheltenham Festival in force today as Ladies Day made its long-awaited comeback following a seven-year hiatus from the beloved racing tradition.
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The Princess of Wales's mother, aged 71, joined the festivities alongside the 44-year-old former Olympic equestrian and other distinguished guests.
The Tindalls put on an affectionate display upon their arrival, with Mike planting a kiss on his wife's lips.
The Princess of Wales's mother was clearly a welcome addition to their party.
Photographs captured Zara and Carole walking arm-in-arm through the venue, demonstrating the warm relationship between the pair.
The Princess of Wales's mother, aged 71, joined the festivities alongside the 44-year-old former Olympic equestrian and other distinguished guests.
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The two women appeared in remarkably similar attire, both sporting near-identical grey coats that created an unintentional twinning moment.
Zara completed her ensemble with a burgundy blouse, dark brown skirt and black suede boots, while accessorising with a fascinator and sunglasses on what proved to be an unusually bright afternoon at the races.
Carole's herringbone wool coat was paired with a brown faux-fur stole, suede boots and a feather fedora from Hicks & Brown priced at £115 – the very same hat worn by the Princess of Wales during a Sandringham church service in 2020.
She also carried a vintage black Birkin bag, while both women donned leather gloves for the occasion.
Queen Camilla made her entrance in a camel coat teamed with a brown suede skirt and coordinating boots, topping off the outfit with an eye-catching feather creation by Philip Treacy.
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Queen Camilla made her entrance in a camel coat teamed with a brown suede skirt and coordinating boots, topping off the outfit with an eye-catching feather creation by Philip Treacy.
The 78-year-old monarch was followed shortly by Princess Anne, who opted for a forest green outfit accessorised with a vibrant silk scarf.
Ladies Day at Cheltenham Festival made its comeback on Wednesday after a seven-year absence.
The event's revival follows widespread backlash against organisers who scrapped the centuries-old celebration in 2019, replacing it with "Style Wednesday" — a decision that drew accusations of being "woke".
Princess Anne opted for a forest green outfit accessorised with a vibrant silk scarf.
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The 2019 decision to abandon Ladies Day sparked considerable controversy among racegoers and traditionalists alike.
Festival organisers faced fierce criticism for ditching what had been a long-standing fixture of the racing calendar, with many accusing them of pursuing a "gender neutral" agenda.
The replacement event, Style Wednesday, centred on environmentally-focused fashion awards — a shift that failed to win over punters who felt the change was unnecessary.
In 2020, Cheltenham went further by rebranding all four festival days simply as days one through four, moving away from the traditional names of Champion Day, Ladies Day, St Patrick's Thursday and Gold Cup Day.
The days underwent several further rebrands in subsequent years before the decision to restore Ladies Day was announced.
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