It’s only been a month since Prince Harry and Meghan Markle said ‘I do’ at their royal wedding and they’re already expected to make an appearance at the opening of Royal Ascot this week.
However, it was a completely different story for Kate Middleton and Prince William, following their wedding in 2011, with the Duchess of Cambridge putting off her debut at the prestigious horse racing event for a staggering five years.
It’s widely thought that the Queen invited the royal couple to Ascot every year since their wedding, but Kate reportedly declined the invitation until 2016, which coincided with the Queen’s 90th birthday.
HELLO!'s royal correspondent Emily Nash tells the publication that family was the most likely reason behind the Duchess’ decision.
‘William and Kate's focus was on his job and the children for a while, but they've stepped up their royal duties in the past couple of years,’ Nash told HELLO!. Until 2017, William worked as an air ambulance helicopter pilot.
Since her debut at Ascot in 2016, to which she wore a cream Dolce & Gabbana long-sleeved dress, the mother-of-three has attended the event every year.
Last year, the star wore an elegant Alexander McQueen cream dress paired with a matching chapeau adorned with beaded flowers, and pearl drop earrings.
The dress - which featured a high neckline, sheer sleeves, a belted waist, and a bell-shirt that skimmed just below the knee - was almost identical to the previous year’s McQueen design.
While technically on maternity leave after the birth of Prince Louis in April, it is unclear as to whether or not Kate will attend this year's Royal Ascot.
However, if she does attend, the royal will be required adhere to the event’s strict dress code, which includes covering her shoulders, wearing a hat and name tag. Yes, even the Royal Family must wear tags in order to be granted access to certain levels at the event.
When it comes to Meghan making her royal debut at the Berkshire racecourse this week - which opens Tuesday 19 June -, Nash added: 'It’s in keeping with her doing so much else already.'
Last Wednesday, the Duchess of Sussex travelled to Cheshire by Royal Train with the Queen to open the Mersey Gateway Bridge. For the trip, Markle wore a structured oat-coloured Givenchy dress (similar here) with black court shoes.
Fingers crossed Kate and Meghan make an appearance at Royal Ascot this week!
Katie O'Malley is the Site Director on ELLE UK. On a daily basis you’ll find Katie managing all digital workflow, editing site, video and newsletter content, liaising with commercial and sales teams on new partnerships and deals (eg Nike, Tiffany & Co., Cartier etc), implementing new digital strategies and compiling in-depth data traffic, SEO and ecomm reports. In addition to appearing on the radio and on TV, as well as interviewing everyone from Oprah Winfrey to Rishi Sunak PM, Katie enjoys writing about lifestyle, culture, wellness, fitness, fashion, and more.
