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A Royal Day at the Races
Simon Cowell bet on the right horses and won £20,000 on the opening day of the glamorous Royal Ascot. VIEW OUR PHOTOS of the Queen, Charles and Camilla, and a parade of stunning hats.
One of the major events of the British social calendar, Royal Ascot, opened this week in Berkshire, six miles from Windsor Castle. England’s equivalent of the Kentucky Derby, this five-day “race meeting” draws more than 300,000 visitors each year—most notably, the Queen of England and other members of the royal family, who arrive in horse-drawn carriages. (Her Majesty, who enjoys wagering on the races, entered a record six horses this year.) While some Britons have lamented that the Ascot isn’t as exclusive as it once was, the races still manage to draw a who’s who of European celebrities—including Simon Cowell and his Britain’s Got Talent co-host Amanda Holden, Dancing With the Stars judge Bruno Tonioli, Joan Collins, model Lisa Snowdon, and many others. (Cowell's eye for spotting talent apparently extends to the racetrack: On opening day, the American Idol judge won £20,000 on two races.)
The horses may technically be the draw, but each year it’s the sensational outfits and “formal day dress” that everyone remembers. (No short skirts and bare shoulders here, please.) While the over-the-top attire may been dialed back since Eliza Doolittle’s famous Ascot outing in My Fair Lady, the event is arguably the world’s greatest Easter parade, with women donning Technicolor dresses and men in coat and tails. And the hats! Oh, the hats…
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Paul Schrodt is a writer living in New York City. He has contributed to New York magazine, Radar, and Esquire.com.
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deegeezee
Dear British Aristocrats,
a stiff upper lip can't be achieved through botox.
cheers,
deegeezee
p.s. the 80s called...
madamemoine
(No short skirts and bare shoulders here, please.)
The only ones not to bear shoulders were the royals so the dress code seems to have slipped down the decollete of the ladies in attendance.
Great hats though!
DBFan2009
is it just me - or does camilla seem to have neglected her dental care? it's one thing to have to deal with non-fluide water, but come on, cammy - get your teeth cleaned.
i'm just sayin'. . . .
deegeezee
she's a Brit. that's how they roll.
ibisko
britains got mafia
bring in the dough.. get a knighthood.
a family tree that accounts for european strife.
the US has Disneyland, film schools and ad agencies
for our delusions.
i bet the pictures of the horses would give this group a run for their money.
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n--Y--XertrukSpasticula
It's Britains Stupid Hat Day. Anyone not wearing a stupid hat will be sneered at.
Thank you.
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