Royal Ascot Day 3 (Thursday) brought out the core royals: King Charles, Queen Camilla, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh (Edward & Sophie), Princess Anne, Zara Tindall and… Carole Middleton. Truly, Carole is the next best thing to the Queen Mum – she is the mother of the future queen consort and grandmother to a future king. Plus, the Queen Mum was always gin-pickled too. Interestingly, Carole heard all of our comments about her missing husband, so Michael Middleton was dutifully trotted out for Day 3. He was barely photographed, almost as if he only came out to keep up appearances and then left quickly. I do think it’s interesting that Carole was welcomed two days in a row as well – her daughter wasn’t there, and yet Carole was still rubbing shoulders with Sophie Who and Zara in the royal box. I have to hand it to her, Carole negotiated a great deal for herself in 2024.
I didn’t get a chance to talk about Duchess Sophie at Ascot earlier because there was so much going on, but Sophie bizarrely wore two very dark, funereal looks to Ascot. While the cut and length of these dresses adhere to Ascot’s dress code, she broke the unwritten rule of Ascot style: “don’t look like a goth witch.” Her black dress on Day 2 and her navy dress from Day 3 were both from Suzannah London. Both are just terrible dresses overall as well. Sophie gets it wrong like 90% of the time.
Meanwhile, Day 3 was the first time Zara Tindall and Mike Tindall were invited to ride in the carriage procession. The Tindalls have been there every day, so this was a special treat, I guess. Zara wore another puffy-sleeved Rebecca Vallance bridesmaid’s dress for some reason.
One more fashion note – Camilla wore a custom Fiona Clare, paired with a Dior purse. She also wore diamond earrings (likely from the Royal Collection), a Cartier bracelet and the Courtauld Thomson Scallop-Shell Brooch. Also: Andrew Parker Bowles was there too.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images, Getty Images.
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- Royals attend Ladies Day on day three of Royal Ascot 2026 at Ascot Racecourse Featuring: Zara Tindall and Carole Middleton Where: Ascot, United Kingdom When: 18 Jun 2026 Credit: Cover Images **NOT AVAILABLE FOR HELLO MAGAZINE**
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- Ascot, UK. 18 June, 2026. King Charles III and HH Sheikh Hamad bin Abdullah Al Thani attend Day 3 of Royal Ascot at Ascot Racecourse.,Image: 1111037385, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no , Credit line: Bart Lenoir/Avalon
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- Ascot, UK. 18 June, 2026. King Charles III and Queen Camilla during the Royal Procession ahead of the racing on Day 3 of Royal Ascot at Ascot Racecourse.,Image: 1111040794, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no , Credit line: Bart Lenoir/Avalon
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- Royals attend Ladies Day on day three of Royal Ascot 2026 at Ascot Racecourse Featuring: Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, Anne, Princess Royal Where: Ascot, United Kingdom When: 18 Jun 2026 Credit: Cover Images
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- Racegoers attend Ladies Day on day three of Royal Ascot 2026 at Ascot Racecourse Where: Ascot, United Kingdom When: 18 Jun 2026 Credit: Cover Images **NOT AVAILABLE FOR HELLO MAGAZINE**
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- Royals attend Ladies Day on day three of Royal Ascot 2026 at Ascot Racecourse Featuring: Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh, Carole Middleton Where: ASCOT, United Kingdom When: 18 Jun 2026 Credit: Cover Images **NOT AVAILABLE FOR HELLO MAGAZINE**
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- Royals attend Ladies Day on day three of Royal Ascot 2026 at Ascot Racecourse Featuring: King Charles III and Queen Camilla Where: Ascot, United Kingdom When: 18 Jun 2026 Credit: Cover Images **NOT AVAILABLE FOR HELLO MAGAZINE**
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- Royals attend Ladies Day on day three of Royal Ascot 2026 at Ascot Racecourse Featuring: The Duke of Edinburgh, The Princess Royal and Zara Tindall Where: Ascot, United Kingdom When: 18 Jun 2026 Credit: Cover Images **NOT AVAILABLE FOR HELLO MAGAZINE**
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- Royals attend Ladies Day on day three of Royal Ascot 2026 at Ascot Racecourse Featuring: Andrew Parker Bowles and Michael Middleton Where: Ascot, United Kingdom When: 18 Jun 2026 Credit: Cover Images **NOT AVAILABLE FOR HELLO MAGAZINE**
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- Royals attend Ladies Day on day three of Royal Ascot 2026 at Ascot Racecourse Featuring: Zara Tindall Where: Ascot, United Kingdom When: 18 Jun 2026 Credit: Cover Images **NOT AVAILABLE FOR HELLO MAGAZINE**
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- Royals attend Ladies Day on day three of Royal Ascot 2026 at Ascot Racecourse Featuring: Queen Camilla, King Charles III and Aidan O’Brien Where: Ascot, United Kingdom When: 18 Jun 2026 Credit: Cover Images **NOT AVAILABLE FOR HELLO MAGAZINE**
All that frippery just to go smell the same horse dung as the plebs. What a joke.
Where’s outrage that Sophie’s wearing black and navy?
Hated the funeral black ensemble, but actually thought the navy blue frock was really nice!
I always think that Carole looks a bit of an embarrassment to the royals.
I can only imagine how they gossip about her when they get home. It’s probably the same stuff we say .
If you’ve watched season one of Rivals there’s a great scene where the posh folk rip into the nouveau riche wife and the husband comes back for something and walk in on them. I imagine that happens every time they spend time with her (minus her husband overhearing/having her back because I don’t think he cares).
And the Queen Mum comparison… She’s rolling over in her grave as we speak. Margaret didn’t get her snobbery from nowhere!
Zara is definitely being paid by Rebecca Vallance to be a brand ambassador.
So true. Everything she and Tindall is an advertisement, and it looks like her brother’s second wife is getting in it. Yet, somehow since they don’t have “titles” (yet generate all interest and publicity off royal proximity) it’s acceptable.
Yes, why is it OK for Zara to trade on the royal name for this and for her Fairfax and Fowler deal, but not ok for Meghan to be a brand ambassador?
Oh, yt.
Also being paid by William to babysit his mother in law.
It’s just interesting bc Charles and Cam go to Ascot every day and there ain’t no way the Wales will do the same. I can’t imagine them doing even more than one day when it’s their turn.
It’s going to become the Tindall Pony Show.
I’d have an inhouse dressmaker / stylist if I were a Royal 😄 Those dresses look so heavy and/or puffy, I don’t understand why one would wear them in summer.
Wouldn’t you love to be a fly on the wall for the conversation between Pa Middleton and Andrew Parker Bowles!
You know, Kate and William each have a narcissistic parent. If you have ever been through this bewildering hell, you see it, clear as day. Kate has mummy. And William has the man Diana sarcastically dubbed, “boy wonder.” Egads. They both cope with addiction, in a way, if you consider an addiction to dieting and exercise and slim fitting and figure-hugging clothes on par with an addiction to beer before breakfast, or whatever William needs to get out of the house. I honnestly feel sorry for all of them.
Maybe William should take with his maternal uncle more.
Charles Spencer faced his trauma with writing his biography about his abuse in school and around his new marriage he said he had – for the first time – not drinking alcohol for a year. Seems to me he is on a way to heal. If William would talk and listen to him…
“Sophie gets it wrong like 90% of the time.” I think it’s because she wears Suzannah 90% of the time.
This. Kate might have worn Suzannah a time or two but it’s Sophie who wears it all the time, which is fitting (HA!) because it’s the Ford Fiesta of brands as I said yesterday
The only one who looked elegant, of the ladies depicted, was Princess Anne. Dressed appropriately for both her age and the time of year.
If she had ascended the throne instead of Chuck, the institution would probably not be bleeding out on the rug now.
Or maybe it would, because Peter ..
That Chinese milk commercial is no where near as embarassing as The Middletons.
Am convinced the long term plan is to make Ma and Pips ‘ladies in waiting’ for Katty when she becomes Consort. Ma already acts like she’s a royal.
What exactly is a lady in waiting? Didn’t they used to be noble maidens whose time at court was to entertain the queen while landing noble husbands? How does that translate to 2026? (I know how does any of this translate?)
QE2 has LIW who would go with her to events and gather up flowers etc.. plus they would be the ones who’d reply to letters. There are other duties but can’t remember.
I have a vague recollection of it being mentioned about how Cams sister is her LIW or something like that but we don’t ever see her in public.
And yeah they were all titled aristo’s as well.
Thanks for the explanation! In actual practice do they really wait around for the queen to call upon their services? In this era, obviously they don’t live at court and probably the work and engagements are carefully calendared. Still it’s an odd dynamic. Are they friends? Assistants? Professional companions?
Officially, Camilla said she didn’t want Ladies in Waiting, but she has Companions who do the same thing, so…..One is her sister; another is the Marchioness of Landsdowne, who was in one of the Royal carriages on Day 2, maybe? They’re definitely out and about with her much of the time…
Pippa is still raising her children, so I wouldn’t have thought she’d be looking for a day job trailing around her sister holding rubbish from the general public.
Ma would be right in there of course.
I have a suspicion Lady Gabriella is being lined up for it as well. There’s a reason the Midds are being so publicly chummy to her the last couple of years, and it can’t all be to do with Tom Kingston.
Alizee needs to keep her finance job to keep James in the manner to which he has become accustomed.
They made sure that they were photographed being “chummy” with Lady Gabriella because there were rumours going around that she and WIlliam had become an item, because Gabriella was “one of the few who has always REALLY understood him”. This came out in the aftermath of her husband’s death, and the Middletons’ overtures during that year’s Kate-embiggening concert were spun as them “supporting the grieving widow”.
Oh that’s juicy. Aren’t they cousins or second cousins? Absolutely perfect.
I have always thought that Michael Middleton was a closet drinker, and has to be made to sober up for these affairs, while Carole loves to booze it up in a crowd. She has some nerve to wear all that finery when they got away without having to pay the millions they owed by declaring bankruptcy.
Edward is leaning away from Carole perhaps lest she wants to hug him
Ed is the buffer zone to keep grabby Ma off his sister.
Can’t keep her away from the free champers and the attention.
We should have a sweepstake – who next is Ma going to feel up? I bags Sophie.
Ford Fiesta would smile while stepping on her foot. She’s a two faced mean girl.
Look how she treated Meghan at that last Commonwealth service, and again at Her Late Maj’s funeral. She was also part of the “Maroon Coat Brigade”.
BTW that color choice was absolutely a racially charged message about Our Biracial Princess, no one will convince me otherwise.
If you look up the definition of maroon, the first definition:
“1. In the West Indies and Guiana, a fugitive slave, or a free negro, living in the mountains”
Palaces and press have been treating Meghan like a fugitive slave for six years.
I hope she protects herself and her children and their collective peace, and don’t travel to the UK to visit that fakakta family. The Spencers aren’t averse to hopping on a plane, so it’s not like staying out of the UK cuts them off from Diana’s fam.
I like Cam’s hats this week. She knows how to wear OTT hats with aplomb.
I find it funny that she is carrying a Lady Dior handbag…named for Princess/Lady Diana! I would think that fact would deter her.