More than a horse show, Royal Ascot is also (above all?) a contest of elegance.
It's a matter of tradition: the prestigious race held at the racecourse in the town of Ascot is an annual pretext for a parade of grandiose toilets.
At the rendezvous of the British elite, if all the guests are dressed to the nines, the members of the royal family are systematically crowned with the most imposing hats.
The reason for this coquetry is not aesthetic, but regulatory.
Established in 1768 by Queen Anne, horse racing goes hand in hand with a strict
dress code
which varies according to the stands, of which there are four.
The highest of all, the royal gallery, is subject to a multitude of instructions on the size of dresses, trousers and... hats.
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Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall during the 2022 edition in the royal gallery.
(Ascot, June 14, 2022.) Getty
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10 cm in diameter minimum, here is the size required for a hat present at the royal stand of Ascot, knowing that for men the top hat is compulsory.
No offense to Kate Middleton, who sported a copy during Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee, the "fascinator", a fancy headgear, is not allowed.
The list of clothing prohibitions is long, dismissing any desire for transparency, neckline, logos, and other trouser suits that would have the bad taste of being poorly matched.
But don't panic, Royal Ascot publishes a guide every year for those who are confused by the injunctions.
In 2008, the organizers had also split a reminder of the dress code when, victim of its popular success, the
social event had seen the arrival of a public less concerned about outfits.
This year the
Style Guide
has 36 pages.
Enough to find a hat to match.