Ascot Racecourse

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Ascot: Three Centuries of Horse Racing, Hats, and Watching the Royal Family Arrive

Queen Anne founded Ascot Racecourse in 1711 when she rode across Windsor Great Park and decided it was an ideal spot for horse racing. The first race was held that summer. The course has operated ever since, and the relationship between the racecourse and the British monarchy has been continuous from that founding to the present. The Royal Procession – the monarch and senior royals arriving by open carriage along the course before racing begins – has been a feature of Royal Ascot since 1902. This is not a pageant or a performance; it is actually how the Royal Family gets to the racecourse, in open horse-drawn carriages, down the straight mile.

Royal Ascot runs for five days in June and is the pinnacle of the flat racing calendar. The Gold Cup is the most prestigious race. The event draws over 300,000 visitors across the week, and tickets for the Royal Enclosure – the most formal section – require an application process that still requires a proposer who has previously attended. That architecture has softened over the decades but has not been entirely abandoned.

The Dress Code

Ascot’s dress code is among the most formal of any public event in Britain. Violations result in restricted access or denial of entry to the relevant enclosure, which is enforced.

For the Royal Enclosure: men wear morning coats with top hats or uniforms; women wear dresses or skirts at or below the knee with hats or headpieces of minimum 4 inches across and a base on the head (clip-on and strapless fascinators are specifically excluded by the rules). For the Grandstand and Queen Anne Enclosures: smart formal wear is expected; casual clothing and trainers are prohibited.

The dress code is also the basis for a significant proportion of the media coverage Royal Ascot receives, which focuses on the hats. The hats are genuinely extraordinary. Bring an appreciation for millinery if you have one.

The Racing

Seven to nine races run daily, typically starting at 2:30pm. Each race lasts 2 to 5 minutes. The gaps between races are when the social activity, betting, and dining happen. The Parade Ring, where horses circle before each race, is one of the better places to assess the animals before you bet. Buy the racecard at the venue or download it beforehand; without it, betting is guesswork.

Practical Notes

Trains from London Waterloo to Ascot station take about 55 minutes; from Reading, 15 minutes. Shuttles run from the station to the course on race days. Driving is possible but parking is expensive and traffic around the racecourse on major race days is significant.

Book accommodation for Royal Ascot 6 or more months in advance. Windsor, 6 miles away, has more options than Ascot itself. Runnymede, 10 minutes from the course, is where King John signed Magna Carta in 1215 – a worthwhile half-hour visit for historical context on what British formal institutions actually sit on top of.

Regular season racing at Ascot outside the Royal meeting is considerably more accessible, quieter, and involves the same course and the same quality of racing without the hat requirements or the months-ahead booking.