There were six in our group and we made a full day of it. First, a champagne breakfast at a pub right by the train station. Then we made our way to the racecourse. I should have brought better shoes, my feet were in trouble before we even got started.
This is an annual thing for our dear friends Mike and Heather. They are on the Invitation Only List for the Royal Enclosure and invited us to join them for the day.
Devon and Elliot rounded out our group. The three dapper gentlemen are all Brits who married a sassy foreigner. Heather is South African, Devon and I are American girls.
There are three enclosures at the track, the Grandstands, the Silver Ring and the Royal Enclosure. Each level gets more expensive and the dress code gets more strict. Because we were in the Royal Enclosure we had a few attire rules to worry about.
Ladies have to wear a hat rather than a fascinator and the men are required to don a morning suit complete with a Top Hat. As a morning suit isn't something Matt owns, he spent the day in a rental.
We spend the first hour or so, exploring and sipping champagne in the Gardens. Lots of people watching to be done. We also had to make a quick bet on what color Her Majesty would be wearing that day.
Then is was time to find the perfect spot to watch the Royal Procession. I was incredibly excited at the prospect of seeing the Queen.
We couldn't have found a better spot. There was a BBC camera just over my right shoulder. We all crowded in eager to catch a glimpse and a photo. And then there she was just a few feet in front of us.
It was pretty incredible. And she was wearing yellow so Devon was doubly thrilled because she won on the color-of-the-Queen's-frock bet.
Zara Philips and her husband Mike Tindall were in the carriage behind her.
Floating from our Royal sighting it was time to head up into the stands for wine and more betting. We managed to get some great seats and got settled in for the races. I was pretty happy with our bottle of rose in a handy little bag of ice water to keep it perfectly chilled.
But, alas, no seat saving. And I mean NO SEAT SAVING! Who knew the "posh" crowd could be so pushy. As soon as any one of us got up to make a bet, that seat was snatched up, quite aggressively and theatrically. This one juggernaut of a woman, think Hyacinth Bucket, launched herself into Matt's seat before he was barely out of it. I'm not proud but I couldn't resist giving her a snide comment and a just as theatrical eye roll. So, be warned. The Royal Enclosure lot are not ashamed to get a little rowdy. This was happening all around us. I was afraid it was going to break out into a top hat throwing tussle. But, there was nothing to be done except admire the magnificent hats and have a bit more wine.
We watched a few races from the stands. The competitive enthusiasm was contagious. Everyone was yelling and trying to encourage their chosen horse to go faster and faster. Or as Eliza Doolittle would say "Mover yer bloomin' arse!!"
You can hear the thundering hooves in the distance, getting closer and louder then shouts of glee or dismay as they cross the finish line. Winner or loser, everyone gets caught up in the excitement.
After a few more rounds of aggressive musical chairs, Matt and I decided to go for an explore. We visited the lawns of the Silver Ring to admire all of the gorgeous outfits and hats.
The lawn area was a great place to people watch. It was also great to be right up close and personal with those magnificent horses. They just fly by to the roaring of the crowd.
Then we lucked into another Royal sighting down in the winners circle. It was Sarah Ferguson and the Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie. I do love a Royal sighting. I don't think I'll ever get over that.
Once all of the races were done, it was time to gather around the bandstand with a few thousand of our dearest friends for a good ole singalong and flag wave. Everything from British classics to old hymns, pop songs to patriotic anthems.
You wouldn't believe the eclectic song list. It was great fun and everyone loudly joined in. We couldn't help ourselves. Then we headed over to a local curry house for some dinner, before queuing and (literally) fighting our way onto the train to get home.
A perfectly Royal and British summer day.
Have you had a Royal sighting? What did you think?
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