King Charles and Queen Camilla lead first day of Royal Ascot

Event marks beginning of historic horse racing weeks in UK.

Royal Ascot 2026 has kicked off as King Charles and Queen Camilla arrive along the track in horse-drawn landaus along with other members of the British Royal Family.

Buckingham Palace shared photos from the event on the official Instagram account of the Royal Family. The main photo showed the King and Queen waving as they arrived in a horse-drawn carriage.

In the caption, Buckingham Palace wrote that “The King and Queen have arrived for the first day of Royal Ascot.”

It also explained that the day started with the traditional Royal Procession, where members of the Royal Family arrive along the track in horse-drawn landaus.

The post added that Ascot Racecourse was founded by Queen Anne in 1711 and has been supported by twelve monarchs since then. It also mentioned that the Ascot summer race meeting officially became a Royal week in 1911.

Some of the other photos showed Princess Anne riding in a carriage, while another image featured the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester arriving in a carriage.

The event marks the beginning of one of the most important and historic horse racing weeks in the United Kingdom, which is closely linked with the British Royal Family and their long-standing traditions.