Inside Our Trip To Ascot with Harrods And Longines

Grazia Daily headed to Royal Ascot last week to place a few bets (none of which we won sob), check out all the amazing hats, guzzle some champers and strut around looking totally glam, obvs.

The event runs from June 16 to June 20 and is a go-to for royalty and fashionable folk - as well as horse racing fans. We certainly had a splendid time watching the races from our box in the royal enclosure with Longines and Harrods.

The Ascot dress code is a notoriously difficult one to navigate – one look at the strict rules, which outline that attendees with a Royal Enclosure ticket must wear dresses and skirts falling above the knee or longer, a hat with a 4 inch base and straps wider than one inch – had us squawking and frantically running around with a ruler. But if one style rule should dictate it’s this: go big or go home, especially at the Royal Ascot! Egyptian designers Sabry Marouf came through for our Alya Mooro with a splendid creation set to rival some of the most ostentatious hats around. But it’s not aaaall about the fashion, believe it or not! We round up some of the highlights of the day below…

Hat Spotting

The hats get as much if not more press than the horses at the Royal Ascot, and it’s all for good reason. Admittedly, we spent the majority of our time awestruck and open mouthed at the incredible creations that were perched atop people’s heads. Within minutes of arriving we'd already been treated to a wealth of headwear, from dainty and intricate, to loud and vibrant. Our craziest spot? A mind boggling red dandelion like headpiece.

The Races

Okay, so considering we had absolutely no idea what we were doing, perhaps it would have been a safer option to keep our purses tucked away but we just couldn’t resist getting in on the fun! Plus we were counting on that so called beginners luck to save the day. Unfortunately that luck never came around but it sure was fun excitedly cheering on the horses and jockeys. A jovial atmosphere pervaded as attendees watched on as the horses made their way

around the track at breakneck speed.

*The Hospitality *

That our tickets said ‘Royal Enclosure’ and that the uber luxurious likes of Longines and Harrods were our hosts should have been suggestion enough that we were in store for an ultra lavish day, but nothing could prepare us for the non-stop champagne and food fest that awaited us. Kicking off the day with champagne at 10.30am, we were treated to a delicious five course meal followed by cheese, more champagne and then finally, an afternoon tea complete with sandwiches, scones and pretty much anything else you could dream of. Among others, our fellow guests in the Royal Enclosure included the likes of Skinny Bitch Collective founder Russell Bateman, who trains Millie Mackintosh and more, actress Samantha Barks and model Sarah Ann Macklin. No close encounters with the Queen unfortunately! Although we did manage to catch her magnificent horse-drawn entrance which is kinda the same thing, right?