It’s one of the biggest royal fashion guessing games of the year but it might be easier to win this time round.
Every summer, royal watchers and fashion pundits alike enjoy predicting what colour royal women will wear as they head to Royal Ascot, one of the stand out moments on the social calendar.
However, one day at this year’s meeting might be a shoe in when it comes to shades as Royal Ascot has, for the first time, chosen a ‘colour’ of the season and it’s encouraging all racegoers to use it on one of the biggest das of the meeting, Gold Cup Day.
It’s also hard to miss. The Royal Ascot colour of 2026 is tomato red.
Women attending on June 18, when the Gold Cup is run, are being encouraged to wear it in ‘statement dresses’ or unmissable hats while men are being asked to consider choosing a tie or pocket square in the colour.
The Royal Family are long time supporters of Royal Ascot with King Charles and Queen Camilla following the pattern set by Queen Elizabeth II and attending as many days of the meeting as they can. Other royals, including the Prince and Princess of Wales and the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh are regulars, while Princess Anne rarely misses a day of the world famous race event.
And the introduction of the colour of the year means the royals could be in the red as the carriage procession makes its way into Ascot this June.
The women of the Royal Family tend towards pastels and creams for Ascot with a preference for blues and greens if brighter shades are chosen. But the Princess of Wales has set the pace with this latest vogue. In 2023, Kate attended Ascot in a bright red dress by Alexander McQueen and a matching hat designed by Philip Treacy.
Queen Mary of Denmark also chose red for her visit to Royal Ascot in 2016, wearing the dress with a white hat to give a nod to the colours of her country’s flag. And although it’s not one of the most popular shades at Ascot for royal women, so far, Princess Eugenie also chose bright red for a visit in 2017, adding a grey hat with scarlet flowers.
The announcement of the colour of the year came as Royal Ascot launched the 2026 Royal Ascot Handbook: the Art of Dressing Well which is presented by its official partner, Beyond Developments Dubai. It’s the third annual guide to Ascot and dressing well by Creative Director Daniel Fletcher.
As the inaugural colour of the year was announced, Daniel Fletcher said ”For 2026, we’re seeing a distinct shift towards confident, expressive colour with Bright Tomato set to take centre stage as a defining shade in occasionwear, bringing a bold new direction for the Royal Ascot palette. That bright orangey-red of a ripe tomato creates an instant feeling of summer joy.”
Tom Johnson, Commercial Director, Ascot, said ”This year’s fashion campaign reflects the evolving style of our audience while celebrating the much‑loved ritual of dressing up – something that remains central to the spirit and identity of Royal Ascot.”
However, the innovation of a Colour of the Year hasn’t changed the rules around dressing well at Ascot. For those in the Royal Enclosure, there are instructions. It means women must wear skirts or dresses that fall just above the knee or longer and any shoulder straps on show must be at least 1 inch wide. Trouser suits and jump suits are also permitted.
This year’s Royal Ascot runs from June 16 – June 20 with the Royal Family expected to be in attendance throughout the meeting.
