In an age when most traditions have been focus-grouped to death or abandoned entirely, the Royal Procession at Royal Ascot remains deliciously, defiantly unchanged. Four carriages. Windsor Greys. Two o'clock sharp. For two centuries, this royal ceremony has unfolded with the precision of a Swiss chronometer—a reminder that some things are worth preserving, one supposes, for reasons that needn't be articulated.
The History of Royal Ascot's Royal Procession
The Royal Ascot procession was the brainchild of George IV, who in 1825 decided that simply arriving at the races wasn't quite enough. One needed to arrive—with trumpets, with ceremony, with the sort of deliberate pageantry that makes onlookers catch their breath. Vintage George IV: excessive, theatrical, and probably unnecessary.
Each June, those four carriages make their stately progress up the straight mile, past grandstands bristling with morning dress and increasingly sculptural millinery. What began as royal showing-off has become something else entirely—though precisely what is perhaps beside the point.
Royal Ascot Dress Code and Attire
The King and Queen Consort take the lead carriage. Supporting cast varies—Prince and Princess of Wales, the Princess Royal with her expression of studied detachment, occasionally the Dutch (who are game for anything).
A seat in the Royal Procession carries weight beyond the ceremonial. The sort of thing mentioned at dinner parties, though never immediately.
Appropriate dress is assumed. Royal Ascot dress code remains particular about these things. Traditional morning dress—properly cut morning coats, striped trousers, silk top hats. The horses care less about our efforts than we do.
What to Expect: The Royal Ascot Experience
At precisely 2:00 PM, the carriages depart Windsor Castle. No mere motor journey, this, but a proper procession through the countryside. The Windsor Greys step out with measured dignity whilst liveried postilions provide the punctuation that separates this from mere transport.
The crowd's response follows its own code. In the Royal Enclosure, one stands. Elsewhere, there's that peculiarly British combination of genuine affection and mild bewilderment at one's own enthusiasm for such unabashed pomp.
The performance lasts perhaps ten minutes. When the carriages reach the Royal Box and the Royal Standard unfurls, the horse racing may commence. But for those ten minutes, time behaves differently. Modern life retreats before something older and altogether more satisfying.
Royal Ascot Etiquette
Should you find yourself at Royal Ascot during the procession: face the track, lower your telephone, resist commentary. Not the moment for selfies or ironic detachment. Rather, an opportunity to witness ceremony that serves no purpose beyond its own existence.
The view is adequate from most vantage points, though the Royal Enclosure provides the most intimate perspective. Position yourself with time to spare; nothing destroys magic quite like elbowing through crowds.
Why Royal Ascot Matters
In our relentlessly democratic age, the Royal Procession at Royal Ascot commits the radical act of simply being what it is. No apologies, no explanations, no concessions. Just four carriages, handsome horses, and the accumulated wisdom of doing something properly.
In a world where most spectacle is manufactured and optimised for social media, here is something that simply is. Pure ceremony, unapologetically itself, and entirely pointless—except, perhaps, for the point that ceremony makes by existing.
The Royal Ascot procession will continue, carrying future generations of royals up that straight mile, past future crowds in their finest morning dress. Some British traditions are simply too agreeable to improve upon.
Royal Ascot runs from 17th-21st June, 2025. The Royal Procession begins daily at 2:00 PM sharp. Dress codes apply strictly across all enclosures.
