Australians are more visible riding horses at Royal Ascot than trading air kisses in the Royal Enclosure, but on the opening day of the prestigious carnival, designer Rebecca Vallance he found himself at a distance of despair King Charles and Queen Camilla.
Last year the Ballarat-born designer was present only in fabric, with Princess Anne’s daughter Zara Tindall in Rebecca Vallance blue collared midi dress. Jana Tindall wore a custom lilac dress from the label, but dragged Vallance out of the room, and brought her into the Royal Enclosure.
“I’m really inspired by the time when women embraced the art of dress,” says Vallance, who launched her label while living in London in 2011. “Royal Ascot represented that dedication to creativity and tradition.”
And Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie is increasingly absent from royal events, as the scandal surrounds their disgraced father Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and her relationship with Jeffrey Epstein lasting like a Pimms stain on white satin, Tindall’s profile has risen. Prince William and Catherine, Princess of Wales skipped the opening day’s races, making the former jockey the most popular at Royal Ascot.
Tindall has worn Rebecca Vallance several times over the past year, most recently at her brother Peter Phillips’ wedding to Harriet Sperling earlier this month.
“It’s really exciting when someone keeps coming back to the brand,” says Vallance of Tindall’s dedication to the label. Tindall attended the launch of the brand at Harrods’ London headquarters in 2023.
“Relationships are built over time and are a reflection of shared values rather than any moment.”
Queen Camilla and King Charles, for instance additional clothing for the couple which would compete with the Beckhams, wore soft spring tones. Dressed in a pale blue Anna Valentine flowered dress, which the Queen wore Cullinan V brooch with 18.8 caratsrecently worn at the White House on a state visit to the United States in April.
Birgitte, duchess of Gloucester, famous in Color Blocking in diamond clips from the tiara band, she continued her style streak wearing a sinamay hat knitted by Finley Howie, a graduate of the King’s Foundation Metiers d’Art Millinery Fellowship program.
The Danish-born duchess has been a staunch supporter of the initiative, a partnership between the foundation and Chanel, wearing a hat with former graduate, drag queen turned milliner Barnaby Jones, last year.
Proving that Royal Ascot is not immune from the same fancy dress approach that often intrudes Melbourne Cup CarnivalFormer Spice Girl Geri Horner took over My Good Mother close up in a white lace dress from The Vampire’s Wife.
The label was a favorite 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 business Susie Cave Weddings & Funerals.
Reality TV star Kelly Osbourne also took on the vampire look, wearing a headgear as a tribute to her father Ozzy.
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