Lip reader reveals Queen Camilla's panicked conversation with close companion Lady Sarah Keswick at Royal Ascot - and the King's cheeky quip
A lip reader has revealed the Queen's panicked conversation with her close companion Lady Sarah Keswick during day one of Royal Ascot on Tuesday.
Camilla, 77, and King Charles, 76, enjoyed a day at the races as they led the traditional carriage procession at the opening of the five-day festival.
The royal procession is celebrating its 200th anniversary, a tradition begun during the reign of George IV in 1825 when the monarch was accompanied by the Duke of Wellington.
The King and Queen rode in the first carriage with Prince Faisal, a member of the Saudi royal family, and Lady Sarah, one of Camilla's official companions.
But the monarch's wife faced a panicked moment when she first arrived at the Berkshire racecourse, according to lip reader Nicola Hickling.
Dressed in all their finery, Camilla and Lady Sarah had to battle to keep their glamorous hats in place due to strong winds, apparently resulting in some worried remarks from the Queen.
Speaking on behalf of Slingo, Nicola claimed that Camilla turned to Lady Sarah and said: 'Oh my goodness, if that wind blows any stronger, my hat will blow away!'
She later debates letting go of her accessory to perform a quick wave to the crowd, but is said to think better of it.
'A quick wave and back to my hat, should I let go? I can't,' Camilla said, according to the lip reader.
Earlier in the ride, Charles joked that it's his third time in a carriage this week, referring to Trooping the Colour over the weekend, claimed Nicola.
The lip reader said that the King jokingly explained: 'This is the third time I've been in a carriage this week. I mean, given that though, there's lots of room.'
As the wind picked up, Charles then apparently turned to Prince Faisal and said: 'Didn't she get the control on it?'
But as the carriage rounded the bend, both Camilla and Charles gave a collective 'oooh,' reacting to the gust.
Prince Faisal then laughed, asking: 'Are you frightened that your hat will blow off?' Camilla added: 'This wind is causing a frenzy,' according to Nicola.
Charles and Camilla hosted guests in the royal box on the first day of Royal Ascot including the monarch's nephew Peter Phillips and his partner, NHS nurse Harriet Sperling.
She made an appearance for the first time in the carriage procession the royal family make onto the famous Berkshire racecourse to signal the start of the day.
King Charles, Queen Camilla, Lady Sarah Keswick and Saudi Arabia's Prince Faisal bin Salman Al Saud during the royal procession
Behind the King and Queen travelled the Princess Royal with Camilla's sister Annabel Elliot and the Duke and Duchess of Wellington and they were followed by a coach carrying Anne's son Peter Phillips and his girlfriend.
Other royals spotted among the crowds included Princess Beatrice and her mother Sarah, Duchess of York and Zara and Mike Tindall.
The King and his wife have continued Queen Elizabeth II's close association with the Berkshire race meet but they had no luck with the sport of Kings when their horse Reaching High was well beaten in the Ascot Stakes.
The late Queen was a passionate owner and breeder of thoroughbreds and had more than 20 Royal Ascot winners during her 70-year reign.
Charles and Camilla have taken on her stable of horses and enjoyed their first Royal Ascot winner in 2023 when their horse Desert Hero triumphed in the King George V Stakes.
Today's racing, meanwhile, will feature the The Prince of Wales's Stakes as one of its highlights.
First run at Royal Ascot in 1862, the race, named after the son of Queen Victoria (later to become King Edward VII), is now worth £1million in prize money and is one of the features of the week.
Auguste Rodin produced a career best performance to win last year's Prince of Wales's Stakes, highlighting the perfect blend of speed and stamina needed to win a race of this magnitude.
Three horses have won this race on two occasions, Connaught, (1969, 1970) Mtoto (1987, 1988) and Muhtarram (1994, 1995).
Older horses tend to struggle in this race, with only two six-year-old horses winning since 1995: Muhtarram (1995) and So You Think (2012).
Elsewhere, The Queen Mary Stakes, The Queen's Vase and The Duke of Cambridge Stakes provide a trio of Group 2 races to savour before the Royal Hunt Cup, The Windsor Castle Stakes and the Kensington Palace Stakes conclude the second day of racing.
Over £10 million in prize money is awarded to the winners and placed horses across the week.
The minimum value for each race is £110,000 and every Group 1 contest will be rewarded with at least £650,000.
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