Kate’s royal return to Ascot! Princess brings the sunshine in yellow as she arrives at the races with William after a two-year absence

The Princess of Wales has made her eagerly-awaited return to Royal Ascot as she joined the family’s carriage procession alongside her husband, the Prince of Wales, today. 

Catherine, 44, was a vision as she enjoyed the festivities on the second day of the prestigious British racing event after pulling out of last year’s festival at the last minute. 

Racegoers were delighted to see the Princess riding in the second royal carriage alongside Prince William, 43, after she was forced to skip the event in 2025 while trying to ‘find the right balance’ after her cancer treatment. 

They were accompanied by the Duke and Duchess of Richmond and Gordon, riding behind King Charles and Queen Camilla in the first carriage. 

The last time Catherine attended Ascot was in 2023, when the future Queen famously wore a ‘tomato red’ Alexander McQueen dress – proving Kate is always one step ahead of fashion trends. 

The fiery hue of Kate’s frock is Ascot’s inaugural colour of the year, as the official lookbook reads: ‘Bright tomato is the kind of colour that doesn’t just join the party at Royal Ascot – it leads it.’ 

Catherine looked elated to be back in the Windsor Enclosure, enjoying the company of other royals, including Lady Sarah Chatto and her husband Daniel Chatto, as well as her mother, Carole Middleton. 

Carole, 71, cut a stylish figure as she donned a pink coat dress that she first wore to her younger daughter, Pippa Middleton’s wedding nine years ago. 

The Middleton matriarch appeared to be ageing backwards as she repurposed the blush pink Catherine Walker ensemble for a day out at the races in Berkshire. 

She paired the designer dress with a matching hat and shoes, both from Emmy London, as Carole happily posed for pictures alongside Alizee.  

Last year, royal fans were left disappointed after Kensington Palace confirmed she would skip Ascot to focus on her recovery after completing a preventative course of chemotherapy. 

Catherine announced she is in remission from cancer last January as she embarked on a gradual and measured return to public duties. 

 Royal fans will undoubtedly feel a sense of relief about the princess’s recovery after she attended both Trooping the Colour and the Order of the Garter Service this week. 

The mother-of-three was beaming as she arrived at St George’s Chapel for the annual service on Monday alongside Prince William, Princess Anne, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester and the Duke of Kent.

Catherine sported a beautiful lemon coat dress, made in London by Patrick McDowell – the designer she gave the Queen Elizabeth Award for Design to last year.

The fabric was woven for Her Royal Highness by Stephen Walters & Sons in Suffolk. She also sported a hat by Jane Taylor, trimmed with fabric from Mr Walters. Her earrings were by Robinson & Pelham.

The Princess of Wales was seen smiling and waving at several of the members of the order – and gazing proudly at her husband, Prince William, as well as curtseying to her father-in-law, the King.

After the service, Prince William and Catherine were whisked back to Windsor Castle by a royal carriage as fans gushed the princess looked ‘absolutely stunning’. 

Writing on X, one person said: ‘She looks perfectly lovely. The hat is perfection.’

Another person noted Catherine’s ‘close friendship’ with the Duchess of Edinburgh was on full display at the ceremony, writing: ‘Lovely to see her and Sophie having a laugh.’ 

As Royal Ascot, which will run until June 20, gets underway, the royals in attendance on day one included the King and Queen, Mike and Zara Tindall, as well as Princess Anne. 

But all eyes were on Harriet Sperling yesterday as she made her official debut as a member of the Royal Family following her ‘intimate’ Cotswolds wedding to Peter Phillips less than two weeks ago.

The new Mrs Peter Phillips joined the traditional carriage procession as she arrived at the racecourse in the second landau alongside her husband and mother-in-law, the Princess Royal.  

Royal Ascot, the jewel in the crown of the UK racing calendar, started yesterday with the Queen Anne Stakes and the King Charles III Stakes, and will run until Saturday.

The prestigious festival is just as famous for its fashion as it is for its races – and this year, statement hats were the focal point of revellers’ eye-popping looks as day one of the annual race meeting got underway.

Dressed to impress, guests wore a variety of show-stopping headpieces as they descended on Ascot for a day of equestrian fun.

The festival was founded by Queen Anne in 1711 after she declared Ascot ideal for ‘horses fit for kings’ and has today become a major social event as well as a sporting attraction.