Carole Middleton has made a glamorous arrival at Royal Ascot, accompanied by her daughter-in-law, Alizee Thevenet. 

Carole, 71, cut a stylish figure as she donned a pink coat dress that she first wore to her younger daughter, Pippa Middleton's wedding nine years ago. 

The Middleton matriarch appeared to be ageing backwards as she repurposed the blush pink Catherine Walker ensemble for a day out at the races in Berkshire. 

She paired the designer dress with a matching hat and shoes, both from Emmy London, as well as £2,150 amethyst and diamond earrings from Kiki McDonough - one of Catherine's favourite brands. 

Meanwhile, James Middleton's financial analyst wife Alizee opted for a conservative, floor-length white frock with frill details for today's event. 

Alizee also wore a straw boater, complete with a green trim, as the colour matched the print of her dress. She finished the look with a pair of green suede sandals from Longchamp and gold earrings from Sezane. 

Carole will today join senior royals, including the King and Queen, inside the Windsor Enclosure as the Princess of Wales returns to the Ascot racecourse after two years. 

The Prince of Wales's mother-in-law proved she is firmly part of the royals' inner circle when she joined Princess Anne at Cheltenham Festival's Ladies Day earlier this year. 

Although Kate wasn't present, Carole was still clearly at ease in the company of her daughter's in-laws and was even seen throwing her arms around no-nonsense Princess Anne - who is not usually one for public displays of affection.

She looked amused when she tried politely to avert her eyes as Mike Tindall planted a kiss on his wife Zara Tindall's lips, and was also pictured animatedly chatting with TV star James Nesbitt, while Queen Camilla watched the action on track with Clare Balding. 

But Carole's appearance on Zara's arm only further highlighted Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie's apparent exile from royal life amid the ongoing fallout surrounding Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's arrest on suspicion of misconduct in public office.

The York sisters were once the ones proudly displayed by the King's niece Zara, who is a Cheltenham racecourse director. Beatrice joined her cousin in 2024, while Eugenie last joined the royal fold at Cheltenham in 2025. 

But in the wake of their father, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's, disgrace they skipped Cheltenham Festival, and Zara appeared to rely on Carole's glamour instead. 

It comes after the Princess of Wales revealed she has taken up padel - playing with her parents, Michael and Carole. 

Hosting a Buckingham Palace tea party alongside Prince William last month, the princess spoke passionately about how much she enjoyed playing padel - though she admitted that tennis was her real love.

Chatting to representatives from the Lawn Tennis Association, she asked: 'Have you adopted padel? I love padel, it's such a good game, such a great leveller for those who don't play tennis.'

She told another guest: 'It's so sociable and all generations can play - I play with my parents.'

Royal Ascot, the jewel in the crown of the UK racing calendar, started yesterday with the Queen Anne Stakes and The King Charles III Stakes and will run until Saturday.

The prestigious festival is just as famous for its fashion as it is for its races - and this year, statement hats were the focal point of revellers' eye-popping looks as day one of the annual race meeting got underway.

Dressed to impress, guests wore a variety of show-stopping headpieces as they descended on Ascot for a day of equestrian fun.

The festival was founded by Queen Anne in 1711 after she declared Ascot ideal for 'horses fit for kings' and has today become a major social event as well as a sporting attraction.

Stylish racegoers on Tuesday's day one turned the racecourse into a sea of vibrant outfits as they donned bright prints to ensure they stood out from the crowd.

Royal Ascot is known for its strict dress code. While no dress code rules apply in the Windsor Enclosure, although the majority of guests choose to dress up regardless, a strict dress code operates across the Royal and Queen Anne Enclosures.

Hats are a must in both Royal enclosures. Alternatively, a headpiece or 'hatinator' with a minimum base diameter of 4 inches (10cm) is also acceptable.

Dresses must be knee length or longer and forget spaghetti straps - all shoulders must be a minimum width of 1 inch (2.5cm).

Strapless, off-the-shoulder and one-shoulder items are also banned in the Royal and Queen Anne Enclosures.

Shorts of any kind are not permitted. But having been included in the dress code since 1971, trouser suits remain a popular choice - although they mustn't be mismatched.