Smiling Michael and Carole Middleton, who have spent months at the Princess of Wales' side, make first public appearance since Kate's cancer diagnosis at Ascot alongside other royals
The Princess of Wales' mother and father - Carole and Michael Middleton - have attended the second day of Royal Ascot, in their first public appearance since their daughter's cancer diagnosis.
Dressed in all their finery, the beaming couple looked in good spirits as they arrived side-by-side for the prestigious event at the Berkshire racecourse - alongside royals such as Zara and Mike Tindall.
The Middletons' outing comes after their daughter Kate, 42, who has been receiving chemotherapy for an undisclosed form of cancer since February, made a spectacular return to public life during Trooping the Colour on Saturday.
Prince William, who led the royal carriage procession along side Queen Camilla in the absence of his father on day two of the society event, spent time chatting to his mother and father-in-law ahead of the races beginning.
In spite of the absence of the King and Princess of Wales from the event, there was a strong turnout of royals today, with the Windsors - and the Middletons - putting on a united front in the face of recent adversities.
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The royals mingled freely, with Zara and Mike Tindall chatting to the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh and Princess Eugenie and husband Jack Brooksbank.
Princess Beatrice, elegant in floral pink, was also in attendance, alongside her husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi and mother, the Duchess of York.
Carole and Michael Middleton's last public appearance was at Kate's annual Royal Carols: Together at Christmas at Westminster Abbey in London in December.
Three months later, Kate announced to the world her cancer diagnosis.
Carole, 69, sporting a £350 light blue frock from Self-Portrait for today's outing, has reportedly been supporting her daughter through her cancer treatment at her home in Windsor.
Her floral dress appeared reminiscent of Kate's £1,275 blue lace creation by Elie Saab, which she first wore to Royal Ascot in 2019. It also featured a dainty bow and pleated detailing.
Proving to be a queen of coordination, Carole teamed her long-sleeved summer dress with a matching light blue fascinator, featuring a statement flower, and a pair of dark blue heels.
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With a stylish clutch bag in hand, she finished off her stunning look with a smattering of glamorous makeup and a pair of Emily Mortimer Electra Gold Sky and London Blue Topaz earrings.
Royal Ascot, the jewel in the crown of the UK racing calendar, started yesterday with the Queen Anne Stakes and will run until Saturday.
Today, the royal contingency was led by Prince William and Queen Camilla in the traditional carriage procession, in what was a rare joint appearance by the pair.
The Prince of Wales, who once had a deeply strained relationship with his stepmother, looked at ease as he sat with her and the Earl and Countess of Halifax in front of adoring crowds.
It was the first time that Camilla and William have teamed up since they led senior royals at the Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey in March.
But whilst that was an official engagement, Ascot is not on the roster of duties and so William's appearance alongside Camilla will be seen by royal watchers as a sign of how well they now get on.
William looked delighted that his wife's parents were enjoying a day out at the races too.
Royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams said of the Middletons stepping back into royal life: 'They are the unsung heroes of the current period, eschewing the limelight, but undoubtedly making a very significant contribution at such a difficult time for the Wales family.'
He continued: 'As we rejoice that Catherine made such a stunning success at her first official appearance in six months at Trooping the Colour, spare a thought for her parents who have undoubtedly helped her and her family so much during this stressful period.'
Fitzwilliam said that it's likely the Princess of Wales' parents have been invaluable in helping to keep life normal for Kate, William and their three children.
He said: 'Her parents, to whom she has always been close, are ideal to lean on at a time when as she has said in the recent statement, she is often tired and “not out of the woods yet”. So much involving the royal family is in the public eye or of public interest.
'The Middletons are discreet and dedicated, an invaluable combination at a time like this.'
Other guests included Lady Eliza Spencer and Lady Amelia Spencer and Andrew Lloyd Webber, who was made a Knight Companion of the Order of the Garter during a ceremony at Windsor Castle on Monday, attended by the King and Queen and other senior royals.
As the action got underway on the race course, the royals were on animated form with Princess Eugenie clearly delighted to have picked a winner.
The 34-year-old threw her arms in the air as her rider came home in first place.
Elsewhere, Carole Middleton looked like she might be out of pocket, smiling nervously as she watched the horses reach the finishing line.
When it came to fashion on Wednesday, standards have not slipped from yesterday's display of glamorous fashion, with revellers arriving at the Berkshire racecourse this morning dressed to the nines.
Lisa Snowdon showed her support for the Three Lions competing at the Euros 2024 tomorrow with a patriotic football-themed hat, commissioned by Ladbrokes to tribute the team.
The model and television personality, 52, was photographed taking a selfie as she posed in the elaborate red and white hat, which featured the Euros trophy surrounded by small footballs.
It wasn't just women that pulled out all the sartorial stops at the event, and male racegoers also donned their finest attire.
One attendee looked particularly fabulous in a full Scottish ensemble, complete with a bright kilt and cropped blazer.
Punters dressed in stunning hats, summer dresses and smart suits will cheer on the riders over the next five days at the Berkshire racecourse.
It was founded by Queen Anne in 1711 after she declared Ascot ideal for 'horses to gallop at full stretch' and has today become a major social event as well as a sporting attraction.
This year's meeting will have an overall prize-money pot of £10million. This is a record amount for Royal Ascot. The minimum winnings for all eight Group 1 races will be £650,000.
It comes after Charles's official birthday celebrations on Saturday, where the Princess of Wales made her first public appearance this year.
Kate looked relaxed during her first day in the spotlight following her cancer diagnosis for the traditional Trooping the Colour ceremony.
With the King also suffering from cancer, it was a rare joint public outing for the entire family after a period of uncertainty.
Kate rode to the event in a carriage with her children, while William, the Princess Royal and the Duke of Edinburgh were on horseback.
The King also rode in a carriage with the Queen, a departure from last year because of his illness.
Both Kate and Charles have thanked the public for their support after going public with their illnesses, with Kate saying she had been 'blown away' by the 'kind messages' that had made a 'world of difference to William and me and has helped us both through some of the harder times'.
Kate was initially admitted to hospital for abdominal surgery on January 16 and at the time her condition was thought to be non-cancerous, but cancer was found following the successful operation.
Charles was admitted to hospital just days after Kate, also for a procedure deemed unrelated to cancer.
In February, Buckingham Palace confirmed that he had been diagnosed with a form of cancer, which is not prostate cancer, that was discovered while the King was being treated at the private London Clinic for an enlarged prostate.
Charles initially postponed public-facing duties but resumed at the end of April, speaking of his 'shock' at being diagnosed with cancer as he met patients during a visit to University College Hospital Macmillan Cancer Centre in central London.
Yesterday, the King and Queen joined punters at the famous racing meet, with the royal couple likely hoping to add to their tally of Royal Ascot winners.
Charles and Camilla took on the late Queen's thoroughbreds and have entered a string of horses over the next five days.
The late Queen was a passionate owner and breeder of thoroughbreds, and had more than 20 Royal Ascot winners during her 70-year reign.
Traditionally, the King and Queen arrive at Royal Ascot in a carriage procession with their guests, a convention which will reach its 200th anniversary next year, as it was first held in 1825 during the reign of King George IV.
For the first time in its 313-year history, Ascot Racecourse announced this year the appointment of a creative director.
British fashion designer Daniel Fletcher was responsible for the creation of the annual Lookbook and Millinery Collective in 2024, which set the style tone for the year and often inspire racegoers' outfits.
For the first time in its 313-year history, Ascot Racecourse announced this year the appointment of a creative director.
British fashion designer Daniel Fletcher was responsible for the creation of the annual Lookbook and Millinery Collective in 2024, which set the style tone for the year and often inspire racegoers' outfits.
He's known for his classically tailored silhouettes and modern gender-fluid clothes; his Spring/Summer 2023 collection included corset designs for both men and women.
The Cheshire-born designer, whose first customer was the eccentric Harry Styles, told GQ in 2023: 'The idea of an item of clothing being for a specific gender is such a funny one.
'I understand that something like a bra is designed for function, but when it comes to a shirt, why would we apply gender to something like that? And for me, the same applies to the corset.'
Former One Direction member Harry whose style has included jumpsuits, feather boas, skirts and dresses, became Daniel's first customer after buying all the boxy short-sleeved shirts from the designer's graduate collection in 2015.
'Harry had a huge impact on my career,' Daniel admitted to GQ in 2020. 'At 24 years old I couldn't believe what was happening.'
Since then, the designer's career has gone from strength to strength, with A-listers including James McAvoy, Robert Pattinson, Eddie Redmayne, Emma Corrin and Emerald Fennell wearing his looks.
The Central Saint Martins graduate has also designed for some of the world's most prestigious houses including Louis Vuitton, Lanvin and JW Anderson and held the role of Artistic Director for Italian label Fiorucci between 2019 and 2023.
He was nominated for the LVMH prize in 2017, was a winner of the European Semi- Final of the International Woolmark Prize and named Breakthrough Designer of The Year in the 2020 GQ Men of The Year Awards.
After many successful seasons showing his collections on the London Fashion Week schedule, Daniel took part in Netflix's 'Next In Fashion' series which saw him make it to the final.
Of his latest appointment, Daniel said: 'I'm thrilled to be appointed as Ascot's first Creative Director and have thrown myself into the new role.
'I'm keen to encapsulate the rich heritage of the racecourse while embracing the unique dress codes, adding a contemporary twist to bring a flair that Ascot hasn't seen before.
'For 2024, I want to inspire racegoers to push the boundaries with their own unique style and immerse themselves in the opportunity to embrace their own creativity – and what better occasion than Royal Ascot!
'I'm super excited to reveal the next evolution of style direction for the world- renowned brand and can't wait for the vision to become a reality.'
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