June 17, 2026 — 2:15pmAustralians are a more common sight riding horses at Royal Ascot than trading air kisses inside the Royal Enclosure, but on the opening day of the prestigious carnival, designer Rebecca Vallance found herself in curtseying distance of King Charles and Queen Camilla.Last year the Ballarat-born designer was present in fabric only, with Princess Anne’s daughter Zara Tindall wearing a Rebecca Vallance collared midi dress in pale blue. Yesterday Tindall wore a custom lilac dress from the label, but dragged Vallance away from the closet, bringing her inside the Royal Enclosure.“I’m endlessly inspired by moments where women embrace the art of dressing,” says Vallance, who launched her label while living in London in 2011. “Royal Ascot represented that commitment to creativity and tradition.”Zara Tindall with husband Mike chats with her uncle King Charles at Royal Ascot.Getty ImagesZara Tindall in a custom Rebecca Vallance dress on the opening day of Royal Ascot, accessorised with Bulgari sunglasses and a Juliette Millinery boater.Getty ImagesAustralian designer Rebecca Vallance in a custom dress from her label at Royal Ascot. With Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie increasingly absent from royal events, as the scandal surrounding their disgraced father Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and his connections with Jeffrey Epstein lingers like a Pimms stain on white satin, Tindall’s profile has grown. Prince William and Catherine, Princess of Wales skipped the opening day races, making the former equestrian even more prominent at Royal Ascot.Tindall has worn Rebecca Vallance several times over the last year, most recently at the wedding of her brother Peter Phillips and Harriet Sperling earlier this month.“It’s so gratifying when someone continues to return to the brand,” says Vallance of Tindall’s commitment to the label. Tindall attended the brand’s launch at Harrods’ London flagship in 2023.“Relationships are built over time and are a reflection of shared values rather than any single moment.”Queen Camilla and King Charles, in an example of complementary couple dressing that would rival the Beckhams, wore gentle spring tones. In a bespoke pale blue Anna Valentine dress with floral embroidery, the Queen accessorised with the 18.8 carat Cullinan V brooch, recently worn at the White House on a state visit to the United States in April.Birgitte, Duchess of Gloucester, a stand-out at Trooping the Colour in diamond clips from a bandeau tiara, continued her style streak wearing a woven sinamay hat by Finley Howie, a graduate of the King’s Foundation Metiers d’Art Millinery Fellowship program.Birgitte, Duchess of Gloucester, in a Finley Howie hat, with Queen Camilla at Royal Ascot.WireImageQueen Camilla wearing a bespoke Anna Valentine dress, King Charles in matching spring tones, and the Queen’s sister, Annabel Elliot, in the Royal Enclosure at Royal Ascot.Getty ImagesThe Danish-born duchess has become a firm supporter of the program, a partnership between the foundation and Chanel, wearing a hat by former graduate, drag queen turned milliner Barnaby Jones, last year.Geri Horner with husband Christian Horner at Royal Ascot.Getty ImagesProving that Royal Ascot is not immune from the same fancy-dress fashion approach that often intrudes at the Melbourne Cup carnival, former Spice Girl Geri Horner took a My Fair Lady approach in a white lace dress from The Vampire’s Wife.The label was a favourite of Catherine, Princess of Wales, before its founder Susie Cave, wife of Nick Cave, closed its doors due to financial pressures in 2024. In April, the designer opened a new demi-couture business Susie Cave Weddings & Funerals.Reality TV star Kelly Osbourne also took a vampire-themed approach, wearing a bat headpiece as a goth tribute to her father Ozzy.Make the most of your health, relationships, fitness and nutrition with our Live Well newsletter. Get it in your inbox every Monday.From our partners