Royal Ascot Ladies Day Trip

General Royal Ascot Details

The Royal Meeting:
Royal Ascot is the world's most famous race meeting and is steeped in history that dates back to 1711. Always a superb sporting and social occasion, combining tradition and pageantry with unrivalled horse racing action, it promises to be bigger and better than ever before. With no less than fifteen group races and over £3 million prize money on offer over the five days, the quality of the horse racing remains simply outstanding. This magnificent event is steeped in centuries of history, tradition and style, for which it is still renowned for today. The action on the track is matched only by the fashions off it with a spectacular array of colourful outfits and hats on display, ranging from catwalk chic to interesting and obscure. Always a superb sporting and social occasion Royal Ascot is much more than just a race meeting. It represents the epitome of prestige, luxury and style, all in the perfect setting of the beautiful Berkshire countryside.

The Silver Ring Enclosure
The Silver Ring Enclosure provides a great relaxed and informal environment, offering a good range of facilities and the chance to enjoy all of the excitement that Royal Ascot has to offer for a lower admission fee. Free seating is available or alternatively you can stand by the rails to cheer on your horse as they sweep round the bend into the final straight. A giant screen brings you full live coverage of all of the racing action. A variety of food and drink is available,and there are several bars open during Royal Ascot, including the famous Black Bull Pub - the world's largest mobile public house. There are no dress restrictions in the Silver Ring.

Royal Ascot History
Ascot Racecourse and the Royal Meeting are steeped in almost three centuries of tradition, heritage and prestige. It was Queen Anne who first saw the potential for a racecourse at Ascot, which in those days was called East Cote. Whilst out riding in 1711, she came upon an area of open heath, not far from Windsor Castle, that looked an ideal place for “horses to gallop at full stretch.”

The first race meeting ever held at Ascot took place on Saturday 11 August 1711. Her Majesty's Plate, worth 100 guineas and open to any horse, mare or gelding over the age of six, was the inaugural event. Each horse was required to carry a weight of 12st and seven runners took part. This contest bore little resemblance to racing seen at Ascot today. The seven horses were all English Hunters, quite different to the speedy thoroughbreds that race on the flat now. The race consisted of three separate heats which were four miles long (imagine, one heat was about the length of the Grand National course!), so the winner would have been a horse with tremendous stamina. Sadly, there is no record of the winner of the first Plate.

The racecourse was laid out by William Lowen, who was assisted by a team of helpers, William Erlybrown, a carpenter, Benjamin Cluchett, a painter, and John Grape, who prepared the paper work for racing. The first permanent building was erected in about 1794 by George Slingsby, a Windsor builder. It held 1,650 people and was used until 1838.

In 1813, Parliament passed an Act of Enclosure. This Act ensured that Ascot Heath, although the property of the Crown, would be kept and used as a racecourse for the public in the future. Racing at Ascot was now secure. The precise origin of the Royal Meeting is unclear, it was an event that evolved perhaps, rather than was introduced at a specific time. Arguably, the meeting as we know it today started to take shape with the introduction of the Gold Cup in 1807. Gold Cup day remains the feature race of the third day of Royal Ascot and is traditionally the busiest day of the week. It is colloquially known as “Ladies' Day,” as, in the formative years, it was the dominant day in terms of the racing, attracting the largest crowds and, it must be assumed from the emergence of the term “Ladies' Day,” more ladies!

Gold Cup Day remains the busiest day of the week but not by nearly as far as was once the case and the quality of the racing is equally high every day. The main Grandstands usually sell out well in advance all week. It was at around the time of the first running of the Gold Cup that the roots of today's traditional Royal Enclosure dress code emerged. Beau Brummell, a close friend of the Prince Regent, decreed that men of elegance should wear waisted black coats and white cravats with pantaloons.

Over the years, this has evolved into the wearing of morning suits and equally “respectable” clothes for Ladies, who must wear hats. It was during the 1820s that the Royal Enclosure as we might recognise it now was born. King George IV commissioned a two-storey Royal Stand to be built with a surrounding lawn, access to which was by invitation of the King. Here, he entertained his friends in style. In 1825, the Royal Procession as an annual tradition began. The King and four other coaches with members of the Royal party drove up the centre of the racecourse in front of the crowds and this has continued year after year to the present day.

In 1839, the first public Grandstand was erected next to the Royal Stand. The lower half of the stand could hold about 3,000 people and contained a betting hall. Although founded by a Queen and located on Crown property, the administration of Ascot has always been handled on behalf of the Crown by a representative appointed by the Monarch. The racecourse was run on behalf of the Sovereign by the Master of the Royal Buckhounds up until 1901 when Lord Churchill was appointed as His Majesty's Representative. He was responsible for running the course and determining entrance to the Royal Enclosure.

In 1913, the Ascot Authority was established by an Act of Parliament. His Majesty's Representative became Chairman of the Authority with the Clerk of the Course acting as Secretary. Today, Ascot retains both these positions, but with the additional appointment of non-executive directors, a Chief Executive and departmental directors, of which the Clerk of The Course is one. In 1955, the rules of divorce were relaxed and divorcees were able to enter the Royal Enclosure.

However, a redevelopment of the Enclosure shortly before this had added the new Queen's Lawn. To this area, entrance was by invitation only and the Court rules governing divorce still applied. In the modern era, Royal Ascot has become an event where everyone is welcome. Indeed, on some days there are six times as many people in the public enclosures, paying as little as £3 for admission, as there are in the Royal Enclosure. The Royal Enclosure itself is restricted only insofar as people must have applied in advance and new applicants must be sponsored by existing Royal Enclosure badge holders who have attended the Royal Meeting on at least four occasions.