The best and worst hats of Royal Ascot - from mad millinery to 90s mother-of-the-bride fails

Daily Mail​

19-06-2025

A faux parrot perched on a bed of feathers, a deck of playing cards sprouting from the brim of a teacup and wide brims festooned with more blooms than the Chelsea Flower Show - it can only be Royal Ascot.
The high society occasion is one of the main events in the fashion calendar, statement hats are always the focal point of racegoers' eye-popping looks - although not always for the right reasons.
One newspaper columnist today described Queen Camilla 's choice of millinery in the week so far as 'walnut whip and a 'feathery ocean liner' and said her choice of headgear was reminiscent of a mother-of-the-bride in 1988.
Cutting words indeed, but the wife of King Charles was perhaps not the only one to miss the mark and look liike she was on her way to an exchange of vows in a coutnry church.
Carole Middleton also looked as if her undeniably expensive Philip Treacy hat could have come from the bridal party section of Debenhams.
Other's however, nailed their looks perfectly. Lucy Mecklenburgh as she channelled old Hollywood glamour in a powder blue fascinator complete with netting clad with small silver stars and a sizable bow
MAD HATTERS
Another racegoer certainly had all eyes on her as she daringly mixed cerulean, navy and yellow shades together and tied them into a sizable feather hat paired with ruffled satin bows
Milliner Tracy Rose is a common face at the races, attending many of the events to show off her bizarre showstopper collection of hats.
On Tuesday, she showed off her wares to imposing effect, donning a blue satin waved hat embroidered with large hot pink flowers and orange leaves, showcasing several bursts of colour to mark the start of summer.
One reveller was photographed sporting a very colourful ensemble which consisted of a yellow hat with colourful peacock feathers which playfully sat on the side of her head.
Another racegoer certainly had all eyes on her as she daringly mixed cerulean, navy and yellow shades together and tied them into a sizable feather hat paired with ruffled satin bows.
Alexandra Bertram, the brand and creative lead at the Ascot racecourse almost went the opposite way, opting for an all-black dress by Club L London and a Victoria Grant gold fascinator with black netting which had the word 'Dreamer' sewn on.
She said on her Instagram that she was 'obsessed with this insane hat,' which also had Playboy-esque bunny ears cropping out the top.
While some men are required to wear a top hat, depending on what enclosure they are in, TV host Francesca Cumani decided to combine the traditionally masculine race day ensemble and give it a more feminine twist.
The 42-year-old sported a cream Lock and Co top hat with a black flower wrapped around its base complete with black netting. She paired her accessory with an Emma Caderni vintage dress.
MOTHER-OF-THE-BRIDE MISSES
Carole Middleton was also wearing a wide-brimmed minimalist brown floral Phillip Treacy creation and Robinson Pelham oak leaf and acorns earrings she wore on her wedding day
Other racegoers chose to proudly wear more comedic hats, with one reveller casually strolling around the grounds with a faux parrot on her head.
The bird, which was completely made out of green feathers and beads for eyes, was placed on top of red flowers, echoing its natural habitat.
But some may have taken the hat craze a tad too literally, with two women linking up to pay an ode to the Hat Matter, a fictional character in Alice in Wonderland.
One woman was snapped sporting a hat reminiscent of the Mad Hatter's famous pocket watch along with his phrase: 'We're all mad here.'
Each number of the time was made out of playing cards of different numbers and suits, while the other racegoer simply donned a red and black fascinator with the other playing cards sprawling out of the top.
New-Jersey-based Milliner Ines Hernandez Tallaj also hopped on the feather trend, pairing it with a groovy 70s design.
Her extremely wide-brimmed fascinator brought together blue, orange and pink hues together which were swirled together in a vintage print.
WINNERS IN THE FASHION STAKES