Carole’s Cheltenham cheer! Kate’s mother proves she’s truly in the Royal inner circle as she hugs Princess Anne on Ladies Day out with Queen Camilla

Carole Middleton proved that she’s firmly part of the Royal inner circle today as she hugged Princess Anne while cheering on the horses at Cheltenham.

Kate’s 71-year-old mother joined Queen Camilla, 78, and the Princess Royal, 75, for Ladies Day to take in the action on track after arriving arm-in-arm at the Gloucestershire course with Zara Tindall. 

An amused Carole tried to politely avert her eyes as Mike Tindall planted a kiss on his wife’s lips as they attended day two of the festival.

Carole also held her own in the fashion stakes, carrying a chic Hermes ostrich skin bag with an eye-watering price tag of approximately £20,000, and she gave a nod to her daughter, wearing the same navy fedora the Princess of Wales wore to church at Sandringham in 2020.

Although Kate wasn’t present, Carole was still clearly at ease in the company of her daughter’s in-laws and was even seen throwing her arms around no-nonsense Princess Anne – who is not usually one for public displays of affection. 

She also looked animated as she chatted to TV star James Nesbitt, while Queen Camilla watched the action on track with Clare Balding.  

In a nod to Ladies Day, Camilla celebrated ‘trailblazing’ women in sport at the Festival, hailing the first black woman to win a jump race as ‘just brilliant’.

After arriving at the racecourse by helicopter at noon, she chatted to jockey Aamilah Aswat, who last month became the first black woman to win a jump race in the UK, winning at Kempton Park on Guchen, a horse owned by the Friends of Ebony Horse Club. 

Camilla is president of the London-based charity and community riding centre uses horse riding to transform the lives of disadvantaged young people. ‘Just brilliant,’ Camilla told her, asking: ‘When’s your next race?’

In the parade ring she was also introduced to Rachael Blackmore. 

Blackmore, 36, was the first female jockey to win both the Grand National in 2021 on Minella Times and the Cheltenham Gold Cup in 2022 on A Plus Tard. She retired from racing last year and is expecting her first child with her husband, the jockey Brian Hayes.

‘Oh, wow, congratulations Rachael,’ Camilla told her, spotting Blackmore’s baby bump.

‘I know, it’s a bit different to before and the career,’ Blackmore laughed.

The Queen also met with the Rugby World Cup-winning Red Roses team members Natasha ‘Mo’ Hunt and the captain, Zoe Aldcroft, who both also play for Gloucester.

‘Make sure you both have some bubbles today,’ Camilla said.

Zara then joined Camilla for a group photo and a chat. 

‘See you up there,’ Camilla said, before heading to the royal box, where she was joined by her son Tom Parker-Bowles, daughter Laura Lopes and her husband, Harry Lopes.

It appeared Carole and Zara coordinated their outfits as they sported near-identical coats. 

Zara finished her Ladies Day outfit with a burgundy blouse, dark brown skirt and black suede boots from Fairfax & Favor. 

The former Olympian, 44, added a fascinator and sunnies on an uncharacteristically bright day at the races. 

Meanwhile, Carole paired her herringbone wool coat – that was strikingly similar to Zara’s – with a brown faux-fur stole, suede boots and a feather fedora from Hicks & Brown.

It is the same £115 hat that Kate was seen wearing as she attended a church service in Sandringham six years ago. 

She was also spotted carrying a vintage black Birkin as Prince William’s mother-in-law pulled out all the stops for the event today. 

Meanwhile, the Queen arrived for Ladies Day wearing a camel coat with a brown suede skirt and matching boots as she added a touch of flair with a feather hat by Philip Treacy. 

Not long after, the Princess Royal was seen making her way to the course in a forest green ensemble that she paired with a brightly coloured silk scarf. 

The senior royals joined thousands of revellers to celebrate the return of Ladies Day after a seven-year break from the cherished festival tradition.  

Famous faces like Georgia Toffolo and presenter Josie Gibson were joined by guests sporting gravity-defying fascinators, bright yellow tailored suits and a sea of tweed, on day two of the races.

In 2020, Ladies Day was renamed ‘Festival Wednesday’ and was further rebranded as ‘Style Wednesday’ in 2025.

But now the decades-old title has made a triumphant comeback, inviting female attendees to show up in their finest ensembles. 

The Queen also presented the trophy to the winning owner, jockey, and trainer of The Queen Mother Champion Steeple Chase, the feature race of day two and the most prestigious race for two-mile chasers in the jump racing calendar.

Cheltenham Festival kicked off in style on Tuesday as glamorous racegoers clad in tweed and fur arrived in Gloucestershire for the four-day racing event. 

With spring around the corner and the occasion signalling the start of the British social season, revellers quickly got into the party spirit on day one of the festival.

As big a draw for its fashion as the horse racing itself, Cheltenham attendees paraded down the racecourse in statement suits, tweed jackets and knee-high boots.

British fashion designer Jade Holland Cooper was a vision in a navy-and-green tartan-print peplum jacket and matching tweed skirt from her own brand.

The founder of Holland Cooper – a favourite of the Princess of Wales – paired her outfit with a delicate fascinator and burgundy leather accessories, including boots and a bag.

She was joined by perfectly coiffed women – clad in thigh-skimming dresses, fur-lined jackets, tailored suits and trenches – drinking champagne while enjoying a sunny day in the countryside. 

Spirits were high as revellers gathered around large screens to watch the action unfold as drinks flowed freely. 

Whilst there were plenty of glamorous women, the men certainly held their own, with some opting for brightly coloured statement suits, wacky windcheaters and overcoats.

Zara, a regular fixture at Cheltenham, also made a stylish appearance in a navy wool skirt suit by The Fold.

The King’s niece’s striking teal hat added a bold touch to her look and complemented the emerald pussybow blouse visible beneath her jacket.

Elsewhere, after making a red-hot entrance, Georgia Toffolo was seen sipping on a pint of Guinness while posing for photographs before the races got underway.

The Made in Chelsea star, 31, revealed her outfit in a post on Instagram, as she admitted her red suit ‘may be completely mad and slightly controversial for Cheltenham’.

She quipped that ‘you certainly won’t miss me on the course’ as the reality TV star modelled a two-piece Chanel suit that she bought in New York last September.

‘I’ve waited all these months to unveil her,’ Georgia wrote on her Instagram.

She finished the look with a black turtleneck from Intimissimi, tights from Calzedonia and Massimo Dutti shoes.

Georgia also showed off her thrifted bag charm – a leather horse – and declared she was ‘buzzing’ that Cheltenham had finally arrived.

Guests were also delighted to discover that the festival organisers had stayed true to their word by slashing the price of a pint of Guinness to £7.50 for this year’s edition.

As detailed by Daily Mail Sport in September, the decision to lower the prices came as a means to entice racegoers to return to the four-day event after a reduction in attendance.

In 2025, 218,839 people flocked to Prestbury Park – a decrease of more than 10,000 on the previous year when just south of 230,000 attended.

Last year’s Ladies Day, which is on a Wednesday, saw just 41,949 come through the gates – the lowest crowd figure for a single day in a quarter of a century.

Many punters blamed the increasing costs of attending and enjoying Cheltenham as the main factor for no-shows, with a pint of Guinness in 2025 almost at the £8-mark at £7.80.