Ladies Day at the Cheltenham Festival made a glamorous return on its first appearance since 2019, with Queen Camilla leading a host of notable attendees. The event, often hailed as the greatest day on turf, saw Camilla celebrate outstanding female sporting talent, meeting a group of trailblazing women in the parade ring.
The racecourse buzzed with excitement as Zara Tindall and Carole Middleton were spotted laughing arm-in-arm. The Queen sported a stylish Philip Treacy hat adorned with feathers and an elegant coat by Anna Valentine. Other prominent guests included the Princess Royal, Camilla’s former husband Andrew Parker-Bowles, and Mrs Middleton, mother to the Princess of Wales, who posed for a picture with Mike and Zara Tindall and TV actor James Nesbitt.
As joint patron of the Jockey Club, Camilla walked through the grounds past punters eager to capture a glimpse. She briefly caught up with Mrs Tindall, who greeted her with, 'How are you, good to see you,' to which the Queen replied, 'Very well.'
The Queen chatted to Natasha Hunt and Zoe Aldcroft, two members of England’s Women’s Rugby World Cup winning side, and Rachael Blackmore, the first female jockey to win both the Grand National and the Cheltenham Gold Cup. Camilla also spoke to jockey Aamilah Aswat, who became the first black woman to win a jump race in Britain when she triumphed on the 9-1 shot Guchen in a handicap hurdle at Kempton Park in February.
The Queen was later pictured open mouthed on the royal box balcony standing next to Sir Francis Brooke, the King’s representative at Ascot racecourse, as they watched the thrilling end of the Brown Advisory Novice’s Steeple Chase won by Kitzbuhel. She ended her day at the races by presenting the trophies in the feature race, the Queen Mother Champion Chase – won by the thoroughbred Il Etait Temps.
