The Datebook Autumn 2016 | Page 6

Royal Ascot

The Winner !

This five day event is the most significant in the social calendar and this year it celebrated H . M . The Queen ’ s 90th birthday by renaming its premier race , The Gold Cup , in her honour and with bunting in the Grandstand .

The high point for the Queen was her win on Dartmouth in the Hardwicke Stakes on the Saturday , which marked her 23rd win at Royal Ascot . She was presented with the trophy by her granddaughter Princess Beatrice which was charming . Dartmouth ’ s trainer Sir Michael Stoute has now equalled the late Sir Henry Cecil ’ s post-war record of 75 winners at Royal Ascot which is a highly impressive feat .
The opening day began with a heavy downpour which ruined many picnics and the ground at the start was the softest for 45 years . Thereafter the temperatures were mild which was ideal for racegoers .
The royal procession has been a feature of this event since 1825 with bets taken on what colour hat the Queen wears for each of the five days . There was a memorable moment when the Queen , wearing a bold orange hat , cobalt blue coat and an orange and cobalt blue dress , presented the Gold Cup to the winning jockey , Ryan Moore , who was wearing similar colours , which must have been unprecedented . The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge made their debut at Royal Ascot on the Wednesday . The Duchess looked stunning in
And they ’ re off !
Thrilling to watch .
a white lace dress by Dolce and Gabbana and an exquisite cream Jane Taylor hat . Hopefully they will become regulars which will raise Royal Ascot ’ s profile still further .
The sculptures erected in different parts of the racecourse are annually augmented by new ones . There has usually been an equine theme , but this year several monumental abstract creations by Ellis O ’ Connell seemed very out of place . There were colourful wire sculptures of
horses in various parts of the ground . There was also a statue of the Queen ’ s horse Estimate , which won the Gold Cup in 2013 , and which was imaginatively sculpted in stone and stainless steel by Gilles Falisse .
The display of photographs from past royal meetings is always fascinating and some attractive images of models wearing fashionable dress were prominently displayed . The standard of the fashion was high , especially on the Tuesday , and the timely recent changes in the dress code were strictly enforced and rightly so . This event combines ceremonial , thrilling racing with an international field and an unforgettable kaleidoscope of colour . It is seductive , transporting one into an elegant past age , and is also quintessentially British with its colourful traditions and dazzling beauty .
RICHARD FITZWILLIAMS

“ Knickers Model ’ s Own ” Book Launch

Hosted by Cancer Research UK

Caroline Jones is a dedicated fundraiser for Cancer Research UK and 19th May saw the launch of her book , Knickers Model ’ s Own , held at the National Gallery Peyton & Byrne Café with around 100 guests enjoying drinks and delicious canapes supplied by High Society .

Caroline ’ s mother passed away at the age of 72 . She had worked in a charity shop for years and had a great love of fashion . This gave Caroline the idea to embark on a fundraising mission with the help of her husband and three children . The book marked a year of wearing a different pre-loved outfit every day in 2015 . She posted her pics on line raising almost £ 58,000 for Cancer Research UK with thousands of followers pledging their support for Knickers Model ’ s Own .
It was a pleasure to meet Caroline , a beautiful enthusiastic lady - no one would ever guess she was in her late 40 ’ s - who managed to bring in famous faces to help make the book a success . Renowned photographer , Rankin , took the cover photo
and Michael Douglas , Joe Galvin and fashion blogger Olivia Purvis were all involved .
The evening , which included a book signing , was a great success with some models wearing pre-loved clothing . However , I wish they had worn badges so it would have been easy to approach a model to ask questions and not make a mistake as to who they were . There was also a mini pop-up shop selling pre-loved shoes , items of clothing and books .
Knickers Model ’ s Own : A Year Of Frugal Fashion is now on sale , priced at £ 20 , with 100 per cent of the profits going to Cancer Research UK .
LYNNE WARNER
4 THE LONDON & UK DATEBOOK