Women Over 40 Stole The Show At The 2026 Royal Ascot: The Best Outfits

The 2026 Royal Ascot was flooded with sensational outfits, and many of the best were proudly worn by women over 40. It seems like the older crowd did a better job of styling fits than their younger counterparts. From Queen Camilla to Zara Tindall to other — non-royal — guests, like Anouska Lancaster and her incredible floral headpiece, these women were festooned in sensational hats, lively dresses, and bold, statement sunglasses.

Royal Ascot, Britain's prestigious five-day horse racing festival, brings a style all of its own. There's actually a very strict dress code for the event. The Royal Ascot website literally has a "What to Wear" page. The high-society, formal dress code demands that men arrive in tailored morning dress and top hats, while the women wear dresses or skirts that fall to the knee; women must also wear fascinators or headwear. Strapless dresses, sheer material, and any midriff-revealing outfit is absolutely not permitted. Guests, especially royal guests, adhere to the rules carefully lest they be busted as royal women who were caught wearing inappropriate outfits. While the rules around Royal Ascot dress codes are plentiful, guests still had a ball with their Ascot outfits in 2026, and the women over 40 seemed to have the most fun. 

Queen Camilla and King Charles III arrived for the first day of Royal Ascot 2026 on June 16, 2026 looking dapper. Camilla opted for a pale blue-gray bespoke Anna Valentine dress featuring delicate floral details, and matched her dress to her tonal hat. As footwear, Camilla opted for two-tone Chanel heels. Lastly, she pinned the famous Cullinan V brooch at the center of her dress. It's no wonder the queen looked elegant. Camilla has a long history of fashionable outfits, and this Royal Ascot look was one more home run. 

Kate Middleton joined the festivities on the second day of Royal Ascot, June 17, 2026, arriving in a canary yellow Roksanda Brigitte dress. The pretty number is a rewear for her, as she had previously worn the yellow frock to Wimbledon in 2022. She styled it with a tonal Jane Taylor London hat, adding the look to the list of Kate Middleton's most sophisticated monochromatic outfits. For a touch of sentimentality, she wore Queen Elizabeth II's diamond chandelier earrings. Yet more proof that women over 40 were the best dressed at Royal Ascot. 

Hardworking, pragmatic Princess Anne surprised everyone with her playful, abstract outfit on day one of Royal Ascot, June 16, 2026. The Princess Royal showed up in a sensational coat of mint, peach, merlot, and baby blue tones. She paired it with a slanted mint green hat, complete with red feathers. She styled the coat dress with an array of brooches, including a gold horse brooch she's frequently worn, fitting for the equestrian event.

At the age of 45, Zara Tindall was another embodiment of perfection amongst older women at Royal Ascot 2026. She attended with husband Mike Tindall, and the two made a cute pair with her pink ensemble and his matching pink tie. Zara wore a Rebecca Vallance midi dress in bubblegum pink, along with a tonal hat by Juliette Botterill Millinery, as well as a dainty pink clutch by Anya Hindmarch. She looked extra playful in oversized sunglasses. 

Harriet Phillips and Peter Phillips attended Royal Ascot 2026 a mere ten days after their big wedding. Accompanied by her husband and new mother-in-law, Princess Anne, Harriet looked radiant in a pale blue, long sleeve dress by Suzannah London. Looking as royal as ever at 45, Harriet styled the dress with a tonal fascinator featuring an asymmetrical slant and an embellishment of flowers. She held a matching blue clutch by Anya Hindmarch for the perfect finish. 

Kate Middleton's mother, Carole Middleton, was a star guest at Royal Ascot 2026, arriving in a pretty pastel pink ensemble. Like her daughter, Carole loves to rewear a look; she had previously worn the pink Catherine Walker coat dress to Pippa Middleton's wedding in 2017. Her matching hat was also by Catherine Walker. Carole was joined by her daughter-in-law, Alizée Thevenet, who cut a striking silhouette in a floor-length white dress with a jaunty straw boater hat.

U.K. based interior designer Anouska Lancaster seemed to have the most fun at Royal Ascot 2026. She arrived in an absolutely sensational pink gown with a long skirt covered in large-print flowers on June 16, 2026. To keep her blossom theme going, she wore an outrageously gorgeous floral headpiece and carried a small purse. This look completely stole the show and Anouska Lancaster's big smile was proof that she knew it, too. 

Former Spice Girl Geri Halliwell-Horner arrived at Royal Ascot on June 16, 2026 with her husband, former Red Bull F1 team principal Christian Horner. At 53, Halliwell was a vision in a long dress of white lace and a peplum hem. She styled this prim dress with a pearl necklace and a large, white saucer hat. To add to the polish of her look, she wore her hair neatly styled hair in a chignon. She's come a long way from that iconic Union Jack dress back in her Spice Girls days. 

British TV presenter Charlotte Hawkins was a vision in buttery yellow at Royal Ascot on June 16, 2026. She wore a yellow coat dress with a tonal belt, and styled the outfit with a Royal Ascot-approved headpiece in the same color. The look was a nod to Kate Middleton's butter yellow garden party outfit from 2025, where Kate wore a dress in the exact same color with a similar headpiece. If the fit already has a stamp of royal approval, it seems like a great choice for Royal Ascot.