Royal Ascot returns from 16th–20th June 2026 with record prize money of £10.65 million, a truly international field headlined by Calandagan, Daryz, and Forever Young, and a culinary programme boasting 29 Michelin stars. We preview the horses, the fashion, and the occasion itself.
Royal Ascot, founded by Queen Anne in 1711, is Britain’s most popular race meeting. Welcoming around 300,000 visitors over five days in June, the event boasts an undeniable aura of racing prestige and fervent elegance.
Britain’s social calendar runs from March if you care to take in the Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race, to September and finishes with London Fashion Week and Goodwood Revival. But for those of us who prefer our events to be a little more traditional and a little less frequented by this year’s batch of social media darlings, Royal Ascot is the pinnacle. Of all the events attended by Her Majesty, Elizabeth II, there can be no finer display of heritage and style than that of the five days of Royal Ascot held annually in June. This year, to help us navigate the gauntlet of the famed Royal Ascot Dress Code, we’ve…