King Charles laughs at Ascot horse’s disappointment as glamorous Ladies’ Day outfits brighten up gathering

CHARLES and Camilla saw the funny side at Ascot yesterday when their imaginary horse faded to finish 12th in the £110,000 King George V Stakes.

The King and Queen applauded in vain as the 7-1 goal Gilded Water, owned by them, started brilliantly before they were left behind.

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Meanwhile, Ladies Day beauties made the most of the sun in glamorous outfits and, occasionally, outrageous hats. Milliner Tracy Rose donned a huge orange number, while another fun racegoer opted for a green-themed tifter covered in My Little Pony figures.

Celebrity guests included opera singer Katherine Jenkins, Good Morning Britain’s Charlotte Hawkins and DIY SOS presenter Nick Knowles.

West Ham owner David Sullivan was with Real Housewives of Cheshire star fiancée Ampika Pickston.

And former Three Lions ace Michael Owen took Love Island star daughter Gemma with him. Queen Camilla wore a white silk crepe dress by Dior, a matching hat by Philip Treacy and a jade and diamond brooch that once belonged to Queen Elizabeth.

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The king, in a gray suit, took off his top hat as God Save the King played – with many royal fans among the sold-out crowd of 60,000 singing along.

Also in the royal box were Camilla’s ex-husband Andrew Parker-Bowles, son Tom Parker-Bowles and Churchill’s grandson Sir Nicholas Soames, a long-time friend of Charles.

They were joined by Princess Anne, her husband Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, and Prince Eduardo and Sofia. The Royal Procession also included Princess Margaret’s daughter, Lady Sarah Chatto, as well as Zara and Mike Tindall.

The king was then seen inspecting the horses at around 2pm alongside Prince Edward. Wife Sophie laughed loudly as Charles told a joke.

Camilla looked through binoculars as Gilded Water, the first royal runner at this year’s meeting, departed. But despite the disappointing result, she and Charles were beaming as they presented the Gold Cup together.

Security was high, with snipers searching the crowd and sniffer dogs spread throughout the Parade Ring. An exciting Gold Cup ended around 4:30 pm and attention began to turn to England’s Euro 2024 clash with Denmark in Germany.

The match was shown on big screens in all four venues.

Many punters with tickets to the Windsor Enclosure, where there is no dress code, swapped their suits for England football shirts at the start of the game.

And guests in formal areas were encouraged to wear St. George flag-themed ties and vests.